


The Bonds of New Blood

by aly_marie113



Category: Vampire Knight, vampire - Fandom
Genre: BL, M/M, Vampires, Yaoi, m/m - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-06-01 20:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 40,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6535873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aly_marie113/pseuds/aly_marie113
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tragedy can do its worst to break you and tear you down when you didn't think you could fall any farther. But sometimes when one door closes, another can open. One you'd never expect. Bonds are made in more ways than you'd think... (No actual Vampire Knight characters, only OC, some general themes of Vampire Knight are similar, general vampire universe themes) Note: Rating may change in future. Frequent updates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Transformation

**Disclaimer:** This is a story of my own design (my very first fanfiction story, by the way o.O ...crazy!) that combines general ideas and concepts of the original Vampire Knight anime story, coupled with other popular vampire related stories and themes, and some of my own. You'll notice that the characters in this story may relate back to the vampires depicted in Vampire Knight, but I in no way own any of the character designs, themes, concepts or ideas in Vampire Knight.

Attention: BL/Yaoi alert, eventual strong M/M pairings. Don't like, don't read. Ratings may need to be changed later as the story gets more intense. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1:**

A foreboding, grey sky darkened still further as ominous clouds rolled in over the small city cemetery. Autumn leaves strained on their bent branches, threatening to be ripped away and forever lost to the power of the wind. The strong gusts whipped through the perfectly lined rows of headstones and through the tree-enclosed hollow, sending a symphony of moans whistling through the rows. The sounds fostered an eerie feeling of unease that did nothing to still the nerves on a day like today, a day of darkness and sorrow that had nothing to do with the weather. A young man of about 21 years or so, tall and strong looking with broad shoulders, stood near one of the headstones, his hands in the pockets of his black military style jacket, the collar of which was turned up against the wind. The nerves on the back on his neck pricked and his silvery-grey hair ruffled in the breeze that swirled up and around him, making his pale skin crawl. He raised strong hands to pull his jacket more securely around himself. He gently touched his left ear, slightly startled when the cold metal of the silver earrings adorned there touched his bare skin, but he took one of the ear cuffs between his long fingers and twirled it gently. It had become a nervous habit of his lately, easing his troubled thoughts. Lowering his trembling hand, he laid it to rest upon the cold, grey headstone to his left, where a freshly covered grave rested quietly below.

Determinedly not looking at the grave beside him, his light grey eyes scanned the unnerving yet beautiful stormy scenery before they lingered on a dark shape standing on the other side of the cemetery, some 300 feet away. The figure of a tall young man, slightly older than he was he guessed, wore a long black overcoat similar to his own. The man's shaggy chocolate brown hair, caught by the sharp gusts of wind, swirled around his face and the nape of his neck. The man seemed to be watching him, but he couldn't be sure. He tried hard to let the man distract him; he tried childishly to invent a story in his head of why the man may be here, so he wouldn't have to be pierced by the waves of anguish that threatened to take over. There was something uneasy in the way this man's presence made him feel; his skin prickled uncomfortably, but he simply accounted that to the brisk fall air and ignored it. The man was not paying him any mind, and couldn't hold his attention. Not today. He was slowly walking down a row of headstones, probably just visiting a passed love one buried in the cemetery. The silver haired man's eyes finally instead fell to the headstone his hand rested on.

He looked at the name on the headstone and an ice grip clenched tightly at his heart. No, I can't do this… he thought. Colorful potted flowers surrounded the grave on either side. The flowers were fresh, as was the newly churned earth that lay like a blanket before the grey headstone. A framed picture of a boy leaned against the stone. I really can't do this… The boy's face beamed up at him from the frame; his white blonde hair streaked with strands of silver was slightly tousled as it usually had been, and his light grey eyes, the exact same eyes as the young man staring down at the picture, gazed through the picture at him full of happiness and light. Those eyes, although forever frozen in time, still emitted so much emotion, so much vibrancy, so much love… the ice around the young man's heart clutched still tighter. Why? Why did it have to be this way? The last bit of fading daylight blinked out behind the wall of incoming clouds, casting the cemetery into shadow. The corners of his eyes began to sting as tears formed, and he closed them slowly in an effort to hold them back. He tilted his head back, trying to pull a deep breath into his lungs to thaw the cold that seemed to be solidifying there. He'd lost the only person that meant anything to him, the only person who made his life worth anything. He was devastated, and he felt forever defeated… There was no coming back from this...

Suddenly, the hand lying on the cold stone clenched into a tight trembling fist, nails digging into the palm. The fingernails were lengthening into sharp points that painfully and unexpectedly pierced the inside of his palm. He uncurled his fist and looked down at his bloody fingers and palm in surprise before the real agony swept over him like a swift kick in the gut. Silver hair fell across his eyes as he leaned forward doubling over, a grimace shooting through his already distraught features. The sudden surge of pain in his chest and stomach made his breath catch in his throat, causing him to double up and place both hands on the headstone in front of him for balance. The dual sensations of ice clenching his veins and the horrible churning in his stomach almost caused him to drop to his knees, but he miraculously managed to stay upright, with tremulous effort. His throat suddenly burned, aching terribly with each shallow breath he took. His eyes clenched shut for a moment before the lids suddenly flew open, exposing irises blazing bright crimson. The ache in his throat scorched impossibly brighter, and traveled toward his jaw until even his teeth ached. Graceful yet menacing fangs protruded from his upper gum line and past his upper lip, causing him to inhale sharply at the pain. No, not now. Please, not again... Not when I've already lost everything. This was not the first time something like this had happened to him in the past few weeks, but each time his symptoms got steadily worse. Whatever he'd been inwardly dreading, whatever his nightmares had been… it was finally happening. He had feared this moment; the moment when he could no longer deny what he was becoming, that he could no longer push off or wish away the enviable. The moment he would become something unfamiliar, unknown …horrible. There was no stopping this… whatever it was...

His knees finally buckled and he sank to the ground, head falling forward to rest for support upon the cold stone as his breath came in increasingly short, ragged gasps that pained his chest with every intake. He reached up and buried his fists in his hair, hands shaking violently, his whole world blurring around the edges, was turning red. He tried to pull himself to his feet, but his shaking legs didn't want to support his weight and he stumbled again. He could hardly think as the already piercing agony in his throat seemed to somehow double, and his stomach heaved as though he was going to vomit. It felt like a knife was being twisted in his chest. He began to crawl away from the headstone, not wanting to defile it this way. I have to get out of here. Before he could crawl more than a few feet however, his heaving stomach finally gave way and he doubled over, clutching his stomach and coughing up blood onto the crisp autumn leaves littering the ground beneath him. This was so much worse than it'd ever been. Was he finally dying? Was this really how it was going to end, alone in this cemetery with only his agonizing pain and memories to keep him company?

He continued to cough up shockingly scarlet blood until finally, with his lungs heaving for oxygen, his stomach stopped convulsing long enough for him to sit up properly, panting. He looked around, vision still blurred, trying to regain his bearings. His disoriented instincts barely noticed a movement to his right, faster than what should have been possible, and he flinched involuntarily. The brunette in the long black coat who just moments before has been standing off in the distance was now crouching next to him, his hand extending with the intent of support toward the ailing. Groggily registering the foreign presence, the silver haired man leaned away from the stranger, not feeling at all comfortable with the other man's proximity while in his current mental and physical state. Blaring alarm bells went off in his head, and he wasn't sure how, but they he felt like something was warning him to be fearful and run. As the dark-haired man's hand gently touched the younger man's shoulder in a gesture of concern, an electric pulse shot through him, sending shocks through his iced veins. The effect disturbed him, setting every nerve ending in his body alive with fire. Alarmed by the bizarre sensation, he hissed under his breath at the unfamiliar electricity, baring his fangs at the stranger. Wait, what was he doing? This guy was just trying to help him, but… did I just….hiss? What the hell was happening to him? But his foggy mind hazily remembered what he'd read, and he knew. Unbelievably, he knew... But how can this be?... His mind and body spinning far out of his control, he leaned still further away, trying to put distance between himself and the stranger, but he stumbled sideways as another jolt of pain shot through his stomach and pounded in his head. He fell, hands trying to use the slightly damp earth for support, and he heaved again.

The brunette leaned closer still, disregarding the silver haired man's attempts to put distance between them. Dark eyebrows above his bright amber colored eyes pulled together in a frown of concern. "Are you alright?" he asked tentatively. The choking man's only response was yet another heave that shook his entire body. Seemed like he was out of anything in his system to throw up, but his body was still riddled with strong convulsions and his breath seemed to be caught in his throat. Of course he's not alright, stupid question… the brunette thought, feeling stupid. His dark hair fell across his face as he reached out his hands, trying to steady the trembling man in front of him.

Suddenly, without warning, the silver haired man's vision darkened completely as he collapsed, arms giving out under him as he sank to the ground, and his world went blank.

...oOoOoOoOo...

The first thing the young man could sense was a light, far too bright, flooding his awareness. The muscles in his face twitched and he closed his eyes tighter, instinctively trying to avoid the glare. As his mind awoke groggily, he took quick inventory of himself, keeping his eyes shut to block out the light. He could feel himself laying atop something soft and warm. His limbs felt like heavy lead against the soft surface, and he didn't think he could move even if he'd wanted to. Thankfully, the ache in his throat and his jaw had subsided somewhat, and the pain in his stomach had dulled to a manageable muted soreness. His mind still dizzy and disoriented, he remembered what had happened in the cemetery, and could sense from the warmth of the room and the different scents present here that he was no longer in the stormy glenn. Physically comfortable as he may be, his mind was racing, trying to discern where he was and how he got there. Through the panic, he focused on the sound of water running over a surface, as though something was being washed. Someone was here with him; he could detect a heartbeat a little ways off. What? A heartbeat? Someone would have to be very close, practically right next to him to pick up the sound of a heartbeat. But how could be possibly hear a heart beating from that far away? He didn't understand; why was his body so perceptive, reacting with a tingling sensation with a presence in another room? His muscles tensed as alarm bells blared wildly in his head, warning him to be weary. Sensing a powerful aura he'd never experienced before, he was terrified by this odd feeling of unknown. Who is that? Where am I? What is going on?

Suddenly, he heard the water shut off and footsteps approaching. He registered that the walker was barefoot, padding softly closer, and he heard the low creaks of wooden floorboards beneath the feet. He smelled a clean fragrance of soap, lavender and hints of citrus mixed with the person's own unique scent, an aroma nearly intoxicated him with its alluring intensity, but he also smelled the slightly musty scent of earth and leaves elsewhere in the room. He could smell his own saturated scent coming from the same direction. Another scent, stale and faint but still distinguishable and nevertheless alarming, was that of blood. How could he smell all that at once? He'd never picked up subtle smells mixed together like this before. He seemed to now have super hearing, could sense the presence of others a million times better than ever before, and his sense of smell was incredible. Even the tiniest vibrations and faint movements in the air played against his skin in a new way. It was confusing and alarming. He opened his eyes groggily then squinted, and with a colossal effort due to his weakened muscles, he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the too bright light. They practically blinded his sensitive eyes, and he panicked a little at his lack of vision. When his eyes finally began to focus, he realized the light was coming from a small gap in long, red curtains that were pulled shut across the window. A thin shaft of light played across the room, blaring across his face where he lay, tucked into a soft bed. The blankets laid over him were warm and plush, and the pillows under his head made him feel extremely comfortable despite the strange surroundings and off-putting situation.

With the sound of moving cloth, the light disappeared from his face as the unknown person in the room with him pulled the curtains closed. He blinked several times to clear his vision to examine his surroundings. Before his attention could do so, he was instantly captivated by the stranger standing in front of him. He quickly realized it wasn't a stranger; he recognized the other as the dark-haired man from the cemetery. Instead of the long black trench coat he'd been wearing before, he was wearing dark jeans and a dark red long sleeve shirt, which contrasted against his creamy pale skin. Beneath his somewhat fitted shirt, he could see the man's slender yet defined muscles in his shoulders, arms and chest. His silken hair, which was a rich chocolate brown color, looked playfully ruffled, falling carefree across his face and framing it with an artful grace. The silver haired man's breath hitched slightly as his eyes met that face, with angular yet soft bone structure, a chiseled jaw, creamy skin, and kind, bright eyes in a shade of light amber. The irises were rimmed by a tinge of bright red, creating an ombre effect from light golden at the center near the pupil, to beautiful amber, moving outward to striking crimson. These multidimensional, sparklingly brilliant eyes were entrancing…. hypnotizing... There was no other way to describe the person before him; he was gorgeous. This thought disturbed the young man; he'd never found another man even remotely attractive before. But there was something so… different about this man… he couldn't pinpoint it. It was actually freaking him out a little. Struggling to break the hypnotic trance the amber eyes seemed to have him under, he blinked furiously, shaking his head. His gaze traveled across the man's face, his eyes slipping down to the slightly shadowed skin of his throat and defined collarbone, which were exposed by the V-neck shirt he was wearing. His mouth seemed to water and the dull ache in his throat roared back to life. He felt unbelievably thirsty, as though he'd been out in the hot sun for hours with no water. He had no idea why he was so fixated on the man's throat, but he couldn't break his eyes away. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with him?

The brunette, not even remotely abashed at being scrutinized so intently, stood patiently in front of him holding a glass of water in his hand. "I apologize, I didn't realize the curtains were open a bit. Your eyes will be sensitive to light for a while." The voice was quiet, slightly husky, with a pleasant and calming tone that seemed to soften the silver haired man's sparked nerves slightly. The brunette crossed the room toward the bed in a few long graceful strides as he set the glass down on the bedside table. The man lying on the bed involuntarily flinched automatically as he walked closer, but the man only smiled reassuringly. "It's alright, there's no need to be frightened… you're safe here," he said kindly. "I'm Kuro Isana. You can call me Isana, or Kuro if you feel more informal, whatever you like…" His voice trailed off as he twisted a piece of his chocolate locks around a long finger absentmindedly.

Still distracted by the exposed throat of the man in front of him, the silver haired man vaguely realized that the brunette had spoken to him. What on earth was he doing staring at this guy's neck? He must think I'm some kind of freak… He tentatively raised his grey eyes so they met the honey colored ones again. He could feel heat rising in his neck and face as the other man's intense gaze met his. Those eyes, kind and gentle, yet somehow burning and almost questioning, seem to bore right into his soul. The silent, heavy exchange of unanswered questions and attempted reassurances that passed from those eyes was slightly unnerving. What was he doing? …Why is this guy looking at me like that? He didn't feel particularly comfortable in his current position, lying on the bed, vulnerable and unsure of where he was or what he was doing here. He was so disoriented, he felt as though something as simple as introducing himself may not be such an easy task. He didn't want to say too much before he got some answers. He sat up slightly with a huge effort, leaning up on his elbows for support. He finally swallowed to clear his aching throat, and spoke tentatively. "K-Kuro… Isana?" he asked, his sensitive hearing surprised by the tenor of his voice, a little scratchy from underuse but still more pleasant than it'd ever sounded. The man named Kuro nodded. He swallowed, not sure if he should divulge his name, but also not wanting to seem rude. "Uh… I'm... I'm Yata. Akatsuki Yata."

"Nice to meet you, Yata," Kuro said, choosing the surname as to not sound too informal. This was a delicate situation they were working with here, after all. Nevertheless, he reached out a hand to shake his new acquaintance, but Akatsuki simply stared wearily at his hand with a look of mild suspicion, and didn't take it. Kuro lowered his hand and shoved it into his pocket quickly, feeling slightly awkward. "So, how are you feeling?" he asked with the same reassuring smile.

Despite his best efforts to remain cold and detached, Akatsuki couldn't help but feel soothed by the kindness and concern in Kuro's eyes. Although he didn't know or trust this person named Kuro, and although he felt completely confused and off-balanced by the sensations battering inside him, he couldn't explain the unmistakably strong pull he had toward the other man's comforting aura and plastered but still genuine smile. Akatsuki took a moment to think about what he was going to say. Should he lie? Should he tell the truth? Too bad he didn't know the truth… he didn't know anything right now.

Instead of answering right away, he put off having to speak by taking his time examining the room he was in. It was a large, comfortable room, with walls of a clean beige color, and dark wood floors covered in the middle by a red and gold floor rug. The bed he lay upon was a grand four-poster with a canopy of draped dark red silk, strong mahogany wood pillars spiraling down to the floor. The ceilings were high with exposed dark wooden beams crossing the length of the room, and the tall window, hung with dark red curtains, causing the room to be bathed in a soft red glow now that the harsh light was gone. A door leading to a crisp, white tiled bathroom stood ajar on one wall, and a set of large double doors on another wall. The room was tastefully decorated, with dark brown frames on the walls that held a variety of beautiful paintings and a large ornate red and gold tapestry that hung on the far wall, portraying an elaborate symbol what looked like it could have been a spell circle from a book he had once read as a child. The room held an odd, warm comfort for him that he couldn't place, as he was feeling rather uncomfortable right now

His quick assessment of the room took only a few seconds, and Kuro waited patiently but expectantly. Although the room around him seemed homey enough, Akatsuki still felt too tightly wound to relax. Taking in his surroundings did nothing whatsoever to calm him as he expected it to. Inside, he felt like screaming, running, tearing apart his very skin to get his nerves to stop tingling uncomfortably. He was far too aware of everything around him; sights, scents, vibrations of movements and trembles in the air. Even the feeling of the soft bedsheets against his skin felt off, giving off too much stimulus, and the sensations all jumbled in his head. His throat had continued to ache more and more as Kuro had approached, and his eyes kept quickly glancing at the other's open-necked shirt and exposed throat. Nothing inside his mind or his body felt normal. Please… I just tell me what is going on! his mind demanded. But he didn't trust this situation one bit, and deciding not to tell how he was really feeling, he tried to push his bewilderment to the back his mind. "…I'm fine," he said quietly, averting his eyes. Of course he wasn't... He was confused as hell...

Kuro didn't answer right away. He spent some time appraising the man lying on the bed before him while he pondered over what to say next. He was younger than he was by only a year or two, with smooth, still slightly boy-like but strong features, and a unique but striking coloring of light grey hair and eyes, looked extremely on edge. He found these expressive eyes to be just as beautiful and captivating as Akatsuki apparently his, based on all the staring he'd been doing. The irises darkened around the very edges into a deep charcoal, while the area around the pupil was a brilliant light grey, almost silver color. And in particular light, like he could recall yesterday in the cemetery under the dark clouds, the light grey deepened into a alluring lavender grey. Kuro had always believed the eyes were portals to one's soul, but at the moment, they were currently portraying fear, mistrust and confusion. The fear on his face that he was trying so desperately to hide gave him a 'dog trapped in a cage' look. His eyes were darting around the room every so often in an obvious effort to not focus on Kuro's throat. The man's hands were trembling as he clutched at the blankets. Kuro decided he didn't want to drag this out any longer. He knew the man needed answers, and he deserved them. "No you're not," he stated matter-of-factly.

Akatsuki's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said defiantly. "I'm just fine."

The dark eyebrows contracted into a frown of suspicion, but the smile remained. "You may physically look fine," Kuro noted knowingly, "but I believe I am right in assuming you're more than a little bewildered about what's happening to you."

Akatsuki eyes flashed as he assessed the other's expression. Does this person know what is going on with him, going on inside him? That insightful little smile playing across Kuro's lips made him look as though he knew everything. "What is going on?" he finally blurted out in an accusatory tone, speaking louder than he'd meant to, his own clear voice ringing in his ears. His eyebrows pulled together in a deeper frown. "Where am I, and why am I here? And who are you, really?"

"It really is alright, you know…" he finally said, quietly. "I am not going to hurt you, if that's what you're worried about."

Kuro spoke with a confident, regal air that was in itself reassuring and comforting, but the idea being voiced didn't help matters. "Well, I wasn't really worried about that until you said that…" Akatsuki muttered nervously, a pang of panic flaring inside his gut again. "I-I just don't know what's happening to me…" He trailed off as a blush colored his cheeks slightly. He had always been a person who was embarrassed to admit his shortcomings, always the world to see him as a strong and calculated individual, holding himself at arm's length from people and even from his own emotions. He hated admitting that he wasn't in control of the situation, or in control of himself at all, but he felt as though it was necessary now He just needed the information, now.

"You don't know?" Kuro asked slightly skeptically, his eyes sparked with mild disbelief.

Anger and annoyance flared past the fear in Akatsuki, and he felt more embarrassed than ever, blushing furiously now. Don't treat me like an idiot, a voice snarled from the back of his mind. What was this guy playing at? "What do you mean, 'you don't know?' If I knew what was going on, I wouldn't be asking you, would I?" He bit out the retort more loudly and rudely than he had originally meant to, but the anger that had unexpectedly flared was curling and burning inside his chest. Was this another side effect of what was going on? Why was he so mad all of a sudden? And why couldn't he control it?

"Hey hey, calm down, no need to get upset, I'm apologize," Kuro said, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender when he felt Akatsuki's aura flare with anger unexpectedly. "I just thought you may have figured it out by now, that's all…"

Akatsuki pushed up off his elbows and sat upright sharply, his sore muscles protesting from the quick movement. This scowl deepened as he glared at Kuro, feeding enough anger through it to burn the other alive if he'd wanted to. Why was he letting his anger take over him like this? "Tell me," he demanded angrily, "before I get really angry with your crap. Don't play with me."

"I have no intention of doing anything of the sort," Kuro said. "Just calm down and we'll talk."

Akatsuki continued to glare for a few more weighted seconds before he sighed heavily, gritted his teeth and looked away, forcing himself to let go of his anger and try to relax. His muscles were still coiled in annoyance and he didn't feel any more calm, but he attempted to at least smooth some of the scowl off his face. That had been weird, and very unlike him, to nearly blow his lid like that... He closed his eyes, and let out his breath in a huff. Deep breathing helped, but he wasn't used to this anger. He had gotten used to feeling numb...

"There, much better," Kuro said, smiling slightly. "Now, can you tell me what you remember?"

Akatsuki was puzzled. "Remember what?" he snapped. "What happened in the cemetery? I was there, you were there, I collapsed, and I'm assuming you helped me, or I wouldn't be here. That's–"

"No, that's not it," Kuro interrupted. "What happened before you collapsed?"

"…before?" Akatsuki asked, surprised. Kuro nodded encouragingly. How did he know? "Well, I was fine, and then the next second, I wasn't. I felt this… unimaginable cold creep over me. It felt like my blood had turned to ice. I couldn't control anything in my body. My head hurt… and…" He felt stupid, feeling like he wasn't explaining this very well. His head had been pounding so hard and his stomach had hurt so bad, it'd felt like someone was punching and kicking me over and over. "And I was…" but he trailed off on the last word, not wanting to admit out loud to this man, or himself, what he really was. He'd been…

"You were thirsty, correct?" Kuro asked, the corners of his lips jerking up in a little knowing grin. Akatsuki's breath caught in his throat and he nearly choked, his eyes widening in shock. How could he possibly have known that? Could this guy read his mind?! Kuro's smirk widened at his reaction and he chuckled darkly, almost mockingly. "And no, I cannot read your mind. I'm just extremely perceptive..."

Akatsuki swallowed painfully, trying to cool the burning in the back of his throat that had flared to life once more at Kuro's words. It didn't work, and the pain was becoming increasingly distracting. "Yeah.. thirsty… uh, do you have any water?" Kuro gestured to the glass he'd set on the bedside table earlier, and Akatsuki cautiously reached for it. Taking it gingerly and bringing it up to his nose, he sniffed, and could only smell the slight iron and mineral scent of tap water, but it smelled clean. He kept his suspicious gaze on Kuro, whose expression hasn't changed, still looking slightly amused at the silver haired man's skepticism. Akatsuki took a tiny sip, swirled it around in his mouth, but tasted nothing but water. He downed the rest of the glass in one large gulp, waiting for the coolness of the drink to sate his thirst. To his dismay, the flame continued to burn in his throat. He clasped his hand to it, trying to massage the burn away. "Why didn't the water help? Why do I feel like this?" he asked, bewildered.

Kuro's little grin turned into a grimace as his eyes darkened. "Because it isn't water that you're thirsty for…" he said quietly, his voice taking on a note of disgust. "You're thirsty for blood, Yata."

Akatsuki's heart skipped a beat, and what seemed like six more after that, perhaps stopping altogether. His brow and the palms of his hands began to sweat as he stared at Kuro, eyes wide with shock. What? …Blood? Like …blood blood? I must have heard him wrong… what was this guy talking about? Stop acting so surprised, a voice spoke in the back of his mind, sounding exasperated. You knew something like this was coming. His heart began to race, panic collapsing in on him like a ton of bricks. His chest was tightening, and coupling this with the burning in his throat, it was becoming increasingly harder to draw breath by the second. "…B-blood?" he stammered. "W-what the hell do you mean I'm thirsty for b-blood?"

"You're thirsty for blood because…" Kuro trailed off, not wanting to be the destroyer of this person's life, of his hopes and dreams, of the future as he knew it. But he had to tell him. It was cruel and unfair to continue to leave him in the dark. "…Because… you've been turned into a vampire…"

...xXxXxXxXx...

Author's Note: o.O ...Oh man... first chapter in my first EVER story. I started writing because I read some many wonderful fanfiction stories that I loved so much, and I wanted to be a part of the community. If you like this story, please tell me... I'd love to know if writing is even in the cards for me.  Comment if you like! :)


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening

Chapter 2:

Akatsuki didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until alarm bells started blaring in his mind and his lungs began to ache. He shakily sucked in a lungful of air, trying to make any bit of sense out of what he'd heard. As surprised as he was by those words, it was almost as though he'd been waiting for that statement all along, waiting for his world to shatter down around him with that one word. In trying to find some clue as to what might be happening to him over the recent weeks, he'd first researched medical reasons for his symptoms, and when he'd found nothing, the search had stupidly morphed into researched myths and legends that all had all sounded utterly and completely ridiculous, but had matched up with his symptoms… and despite his skepticism at the time, he could now see what he'd known all along was inevitable… but he refused to go down without a fight. He shook his head to try to clear it, and tried desperately to ignore the voice in his head. "Vampire?" he scoffed. "Yeah okay, listen buddy, I don't know who you are or what you think you're trying to pull, but you're out of your fucking mind!"

Kuro sighed and slid his hands through his hair in exasperation, pulling it back out of his eyes. "Look, who I am at this moment is irrelevant," he said, getting slightly annoyed. "And I'm not trying to 'pull' anything. I'm trying to help you see what, based on the look on your face I think you kind of already know, or at least suspected. I can see it in your eyes; you know what I'm saying to you is true."

Akatsuki scoffed again, shaking his head, his consciousness fighting to rebuff the meaning behind the words... This was unbelievable… 'No it's not…' the quiet voice inside him added its commentary. Pushing the voice out of his mind again, he glared at the brunette, his tone dangerous. "Seriously, stop playing around with me."

"I'm not playing, Yata. Vampires can sense each other. I can feel your presence now and I could feel your transformation. In the cemetery, I could see clearly from across that field, and I knew what was happening… your eyes were burning red, your fangs were aroused, your aura– "

"My what?" Akatsuki cut him off mid-sentence. Red eyes? Fangs? Aura? What kind of nonsense was this guy spouting? He shook his head again in disbelief. No, there's just no way… this can't be right… Why are you resisting what you know is the truth? the annoying little voice in his mind piped up again. You know what he is saying is true, stop denying it. You could feel this coming…

"Yes, your aura. All vampires, no matter what level, emit a certain unique aura that other vampires can sense. On the surface, it allows others to perceive you and your emotional state, but societally, it's a way of registering one's class and power level. Vampires have to work hard to control their emotions, because other vampires can feel you through the aura you put off…" he trailed off as the other man's face become more and more incredulous and panicked with every word he spoke. Akatsuki had even visibly shied away from the information during the conversation, scooting further away from him across the bed with every word, his still eyes wide with shock. He'd pulled the bedcovers up to his chin, hiding his body from view, using them as a kind of shield in an obvious display of distrust.

Kuro felt like he wasn't doing a great job at explaining this… How do you properly explain to someone that the life they once knew is now over, and they'd been turned into something completely foreign and, in many cases, horrifying? Akatsuki's face, blank in shock and disbelief, was growing paler by the minute and a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead. His eyes were darting from Kuro, around the room, to the floor, and back to Kuro; unblinking, unseeing, panicking. Kuro sighed deeply, running his hands through his hair again. Maybe he was going about this in the wrong way. Maybe if he let Akatsuki come to the realization himself, the blow of understanding would be less severe. "Look," he said cautiously, "Let's talk this out. Why don't we start from the beginning? Do you know how you got like this? Do you have any memory of... what happened?"

…What…happened? Akatsuki, finally focusing his eyes dully on a spot on the gold embroidered bedspread, racked his numb, overloaded brain to contemplate the question. He couldn't think properly. There was way too much swimming around his his head or him to make sense of anything. What had happened that night? Why couldn't he remember? His brow furrowed in frustration as he continued to stare blankly at the bedspread, not really seeing it.

"Do you remember anything at all? Small bits, like faces, voices, scenery – any little detail?" Kuro asked when Akatsuki remained silent. "Think hard. Even if you don't remember big events, any triviality may help."

Akatsuki's gaze jerked sharply from the bedspread he had been examining up to Kuro's face. It was as if the other knew he wouldn't be able to remember anything. "I can't remember anything. Nothing… The last thing I remember was waking up in a dark alley, all bloody and in a lot of pain… but I don't know how I got there or what happened… H-how did you know I wouldn't remember?"

Kuro seemed resigned at the silver haired man's words. "I thought so…" he said quietly, breaking Akatsuki's stunned stare to turn slightly, fixing his gaze absently at the far wall. "Your memory has been modified."

"Excuse me, modified?" Akatsuki asked incredulously. "How could my memory have been modified?"

"Because this must have been a pureblood vampire attack. Only pureblood vampires can turn a human into a vampire, and only purebloods can manipulate one's memories. If a noble class or regular class vampire bites a human, nothing would happen other than that vampire feeding on their blood. No venom is passed. But when a pureblood bites a human, the venom in their fangs can change a human's DNA to make them… one of us…" his voice trailed off at that last word, blushing slightly had he continued to stare at the ground.

Pureblood? Special venom? Wait… His mind slugged through the information, but the slow moving cogs clicking around one particular thing Kuro has said. 'One…of us'…? What the hell? "Hang on…" Akatsuki's pounding heart had skipped a beat again when his swamped brain registered that statement. His mouth had become dry; he swallowed painfully. "One of …us…?"

"Yes, of course," Kuro whispered, eyes unmoving from the spot on the wall. "One of us. Can't you sense it?"

"Sense what?!" Akatsuki demanded harshly, his voice growing louder again.

Kuro's eyes suddenly snapped back to meet Akatsuki's disbelieving, alarmed expression once more. "I know you're a little overwhelmed at the moment, but try to calm down a bit."

Calm down? Calm down?! "How the hell am I supposed to calm down?!" Akatsuki almost yelled, his voice cracking slightly from the dryness in his throat. "You just told me you're… a…. a v-vampire, and I'm supposed to be calm about that?!"

"You are one too, Yata. That's what I'm trying to tell you. You must have been bitten by a pureblood, who turned you into a vampire, and erased your memories after he fed from you." His amber gaze burned with seriousness and sympathy. "I have no reason to lie to you or jerk you around with some kind of joke. I'm telling you what I sense. I haven't felt it very many times in my life, but your aura is distinct; you are now a Level D vampire."

Akatsuki shook his head over and over, rejecting the words. This can't be happening. This had to be a bad dream; the worst kind of nightmare. I can't be a… a vampire… he thought. Things like this don't happen. This isn't real life. Vampires are just creatures in fantasy stories. There's no way any of this is real. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Your thirst, your overactive emotions, your sensitive perception and awareness… they didn't just come out of nowhere." Kuro said, slightly worried by the expression in Akatsuki's darkening grey eyes. The empty deadness filling them now alarmed him. "If you don't believe me, I can easily prove it to you." He turned, facing the man head on. "Try to reach your vampire senses out to feel my aura."

Vampire… what? This all sounded completely ridiculous. "...What?"

"Just reach out toward me with your mind. Try to feel my aura with yours. It will prove to you I'm not lying."

"You're crazy," Akatsuki scoffed. "Seriously insane." But the gears were still turning, and the things Kuro was saying were clicking into place in his mind, whether he liked it or not. It didn't make any sense… and yet…

"Just try," Kuro implored.

Blinking quickly to clear his mind, Akatsuki inhaled deeply to try to settle his on-fire nerves. He tried to relax his tensed muscles, arms shaking slightly. When no relaxation came, he sighed, staring down at the small swells in the bedding made by his feet. "I don't really like the sound of this…" he said wearily. "Even if I could do whatever it is you're asking me to do, I don't think I trust you…" he admitted, his cheeks coloring slightly at this confession.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Kuro said reassuringly. "Coming in contact with someone else's aura can't hurt you." When Akatsuki's still didn't drop his guard, he said "It's okay, I promise," reaching out his pale hand toward him.

Akatsuki eyed Kuro skeptically for another few more moments. Finally, he breathed a deep sigh. Fine, whatever. He decided 'what the hell'? If this was all completely bogus, which was the explanation he still desperately clung to, then nothing would happen and he'd be able to have a good laugh about it, maybe even pointing out the secret cameras hidden around the room and calling Kuro out for his bad joke. Determined that this was all just an elaborately orchestrated crock of shit, he threw caution to the winds. Having no idea what he was doing, he tentatively focused all of his energy toward the other man's outstretched hand. He blindly stretched what felt like invisible hands forward it, using all the concentration he had, not knowing what he was doing or what would happen, until the mental feelers suddenly connected with another invisible field, vibrating slightly, different from the still empty air in the room. An overwhelming sensation of calm suddenly broke through his fogged brain. He could feel a distinct warmth coming from Kuro's being, almost like a gentle, smoldering flame. The warmth momentarily stunned him; for some reason, he'd be expecting it to be ice cold. He recoiled slightly, but once he got used to the feeling, he stretched out to engulf more of Kuro's aura. The sense of serenity and complete calm that overwhelmed him made his tense shoulders automatically relax and caused his mind to clear.

"W-what– " he breathed in a whisper, closing his eyes slowly, feeling every muscle in his body uncoil with simply relaxed bliss. He didn't feel anything, besides complete tranquility.

Kuro had felt the tentativeness, anxiety and distrust in Akatsuki's aura as it'd connected with his, and he smiled reassuringly as the negative emotions faded slowly away. "That's just something I can do. My aura has emotion changing properties. I can manipulate the feelings of those around me."

Akatsuki, a pang of sudden discomfort flaring inside him that pierced his calm, pulled his aura away from the brunette. He snapped his senses back into himself, looking at the other warily. The tenseness in his muscles instantly came back, and his skepticism and anxiety also returned. "You did that?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said apologetically. Akatsuki still looked wary, but less angry than he had before. This would take time, Kuro thought. Then again, they had nothing but time. He shouldn't overwhelm the other. "Are you alright?"

"…Yeah, that just felt weird," Akatsuki replied, his voice shaking slightly. "I'm still feeling a little off balance… And I don't much like the thought of you rummaging around in my emotions. You should have told me..."

"I apologize, you're right, I should have explained," Kuro said. "Some vampires, based on power or class level, have extra special abilities. Mine, for instance, is the ability to gauge and affect the emotions of others. I can reach out my aura and change someone's emotional state. It comes in handy during fights or tense situations such as these. We're known in the community as 'calmers'. Special abilities aren't that common, but we pop up from time to time. Other abilities I've seen have been mind reading, increased acute perception, extra speed… of course these are all relative to the already enhanced vampire abilities of increased speed, strength and agility, heightened senses of smell, touch... etc…" He trailed off.

Akatsuki gulped, but didn't say anything. Special abilities? As if regular vampire abilities weren't enough… His sluggish mind finally caught Kuro's last sentence. "Wait… mind reading?" he gasped out. "Vampires can… read minds?!"

"Very few can. It's a very specialized ability that only the most powerful of purebloods possess." Kuro paused, noting Akatsuki astounded reaction. "I'm sorry to overwhelm you with so much information," he apologized. "Of course, this will all take time. I'm not expecting you to just snap your fingers and take it all in. It'll take you awhile to get used to your own body and your advanced abilities. But I must say, aside from your little outburst before, you're taking this much better than I thought you would."

"Why do you say that?" Akatsuki said, slightly annoyed, feeling like he was being treated like a child.

"You just seem… well, honestly you seem like a bit of a hothead," Kuro said, smirking a little.

"I am not!" Akatsuki protested angrily. Kuro's grin widened as Akatsuki fumed and glared at him. His glare is kind of cute, like an angry puppy… Kuro thought. He raised one eyebrow in response, as if to say 'really?'

Akatsuki huffed and threw his hands up in exasperation. "Well what do you expect? It's not like any of this is exactly easy to comprehend. And I'm still not even saying that I believe you…"

"That's why I'm saying you're taking this all rather well," Kuro said again. "And you should believe it. Your body's reactions don't lie." Akatsuki let out a little that sounded like 'harmph'. "As I said, I have no reason to lie to you. Being dishonest would only slow this process."

"Process?" Akatsuki asked.

"The process of getting you up to speed, so to speak. Teaching how to be a member of the vampire race."

"Aaaand, you're going to teach me?" Akatsuki said suspiciously.

"Of course," Kuro replied, smirking darkly again, full of false humor. "We can't have a Level D gallivanting off all over town, wreaking havoc!"

Akatsuki pursed his lips, scowling. His head had started to ache dully again. "Level D… you've called me that twice now. What does that even mean?"

"Oh yes, I should have explained. Vampires are classified into levels, dependent on their birthright, status and power. Other than purebloods, there are Level As or 'the noble classes', Level Bs or your mid-level vampires, and Level Cs which are the common garden variety vampire. As I mentioned before, there are pureblood born into the highest of blood classes and therefore they possess the highest amount of power, wealth, and status, and each class of vampire decreases in power and status accordingly. There used to be many pureblood bloodlines all over the world, but their numbers have decreased through the millennia. Now, many of them only exist today because they've stayed deep in the shadows, or they've killed off other vampires, in particular other purebloods that threaten their power. That is why you don't see a lot of young purebloods, because they're targeted as easier kills, to increase a greedy pureblood's strength."

Akatsuki, remaining silent through Kuro's explanation, now spoke tentatively. "So you said before that it's because of a pureblood that I'm… I'm a… that this… happened?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"I'm assuming so; it's really the only explanation," Kuro said thoughtfully. "Like I said, only a pureblood's bite can turn a human into a vampire. The only legitimate reason a pureblood would have to turn a human is to create 'blood pets' to keep around them, or they may use other lower level vampires that they feed from at any time. Most purebloods avoid biting and feeding from humans without killing them because of the harm they can do."

Akatsuki scowled, his brain painfully trying to skirt around the phrase 'killing humans', to no avail. He swallowed. "Harm?" he asked.

"The humans who are bitten by purebloods are called Level Ds. These are below the Level Cs, or below normal class. Level Ds…" he trailed off, averting Akatsuki's grey eyes.

"What's wrong with Level Ds?" Akatsuki prompted, his heart dropping a little. This can't be good...

Kuro looked somber, almost ashamed of himself for the information he was about to reveal. He sighed and raised his gaze to the silver haired man in front of him. His eyes were full of apology, and he kept his voice quiet, forcing it to remain steady and monotone. "For some reason, and I am not familiar with the logistics or science behind it, Level Ds do not possess the stability that our kind has when carrying the vampire gene from birth. Turning a human into a vampire may change the physical DNA of the body, mutating the DNA to resemble the vampire gene, but it doesn't stabilize the body or make it compatible with the new gene. The human body of a Level D vampire will essentially begin to break down, eating itself from the inside, and the pain will inevitably become too much, driving the mind to madness. They usually become little more than animals… beasts… overrun by bloodlust and vampire instinct, all humanity gone… This is called falling to a Level E status, if they even make it that far. At this point, these vampires become a risk to our existence, as creatures that has lost all rational thought and consumed by animal instinct aren't exactly good keepers of secrets. But most of the time the body just completely shuts down, resulting in death before one can fall to this point. Most vampires – purebloods, nobles and ordinary class alike – consider this to be the saddest of occurrences. That's why purebloods avoid turning humans unnecessarily. Most do, anyway…" As his explanation has progressed, his voice had become harder, forcing the shakiness away that threatened to overwhelm it, and his eyes had tightened.

Akatsuki was quiet for a moment, trying to not to show the panic bubbling up inside him again. If he believed all of this ridiculousness that Kuro was spouting, which was a big if, was this to be his fate? Would whatever this was eventually kill him? Or would he fall to a Level E, become nothing more than a ravenous beast, madness completely taking hold forever? He then grasped onto a tiny hint of something Kuro had said. "Wait… you said if they don't die, they usually fall to a Level E. What is 'usually'? Does this always happen? Is there a chance that it won't?"

Kuro grimaced slightly, turning away so Akatsuki wouldn't see. Damn it… I shouldn't have said that… he thought grimly. This man is quick, he thought. He'd have to watch what he said from now on. He hesitated before answering, staring at the far wall again. "Sometimes, and I must stress to you how extremely rare these situations are, a human body is strong enough to carry the vampire gene. Sometimes, albeit extremely unlikely, particularly strong human hosts do merge with the vampire gene instead of being consumed by it, and they can go on living as a vampire for…eternity? I'm not exactly sure… I've never met one or even heard of anyone it's happened to. As you can imagine, it doesn't happen often. I didn't even mean to mention it because I didn't want to get your hopes up…"

"But there's a possibility, right? It could happen?" Akatsuki said, his voice unconsciously almost pleading, a pang of hope tugging at the corners of his heart. Please… let this be true, he thought. If I really am a… Level D… then please, let there be some hope for me.

Kuro was silent for a long moment. "I don't know…" he said finally. "I've only heard of such a thing as myths, but never witnessed it firsthand. Many humans who are turned resent the vampire who did this to them and therefore they hate the whole vampire race, and they reject the entire idea of their change. This in itself can help the drive a Level D to madness. Maybe… if you don't reject this transition: if you drink enough blood, keep your body healthy, strive to embrace the change rather than reject it… maybe those things will have an impact in a healthy transition. And then if all the components of the situation align… But I really have no idea…"

Akatsuki mind was spinning with the overload of information and his head was really pounding now. How was he supposed to do that? How was he supposed to embrace something that he didn't understand… something that terrified him?

"Being a vampire isn't easy; trust me I know," Kuro continued. "The drinking blood, the heightened scenes, the speed and strength, I would imagine it's a lot to get used to. I was born a vampire, so didn't have to 'get used to them'. I was born with all the traits, with a completely vampire mind and body. You, however, have to start from the bottom. That's where I come in…" He smirked darkly, his lips smiling but his eyes still clouded and his eyebrows pulled together in a grimace. "The only thing I can do is help you learn how to be a vampire. I can teach you how to use your strength and power, and how to embrace this change rather than reject it."

"So you're going to teach me how to be… be… like you?" Akatsuki questioned skeptically.

"Well, not like me, per say. I'm a high class Level A vampire. My family goes back hundreds of centuries of noble blood. You'll never be 'like me'." His grin was teasing now, but seeing the annoyance on Akatsuki's face, he turned away, hiding his own face. "But I can teach you how to be one of us. Show you the ropes, you know. If you want…" he trailed off, peaking at the other with a sidelong glance.

Akatsuki chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. He didn't get any of this… He still didn't really truly believe any of it either. Funny joke maybe… someone trying to mess with him. Like he needed to be messed up any more. But the last month played over and over in his head, which took in processed information a lot faster recently despite all the chaos it was bombarded with. Someone could tell him a story sure, try to get him to believe something. But how could they effectively change all of his perceptions and senses; sight, hearing, smell, taste touch, to be razor sharp? No way anyone could do that. But his mind was still desperately clinging to the idea that this was all some big prank, some fun little game that Kuro was playing, and he needed some sort of proof. How could this possibly be real?

He'd heard stories about frightening, bloodsucking vampires when he was a kid, and he read the story of Dracula in high school. That was about the extent of his vampire knowledge – or folklore more accurately – and what he'd researched a bit through his exploration of trying to figure out what was wrong with him, but he'd tried to rationalize away all that more bizarre information as he'd read it. Now everything was coming back all around full circle, but he was still starting at ground zero. If this really was the future he was destined for, maybe having someone there to walk him through it all wouldn't be so bad. Someone to help him through the difficult changes and challenges he was facing. If he was really going to fall to a Level E, he should at least try to live the remainder of his life in the best way he could, right? He was by no means 'okay' with the situation he now found himself in, and the thought of trying to embrace it as best as he could didn't stop him from being angry as a bat out of hell about it. He was pissed off at how this all had turned out, and he was frustrated, hurt, embarrassed, and scared as shit, all wrapped up into one. He was having a hard time dealing with all the strong emotions bubbling up inside him. Every emotion he had seemed intensified, heightened beyond what he was used to feeling, and his mood swiftly changed. This all scared him… Should he really do this? Should he put his trust in someone he didn't know, someone who was a self-confessed bloodsucking vampire, to teach him all about being something that he didn't know how to be... something horrifying... should he let someone rip him away from life he'd always known to start anew? Well, better that than getting pulled through it kicking and screaming, he supposed.

"…Alright, fine," he muttered finally, giving up his internal struggle. He bent his head, staring down the bedspread again, not wanting the other to see his reddening cheeks. He wasn't used to letting his guard down and taking assistance from others; he'd been taking care of himself for so long now that accepting help from anyone was outside his comfort zone. He decided he didn't trust this vampire as far as he could throw him… which he suddenly realized was probably a lot farther than he thought, if folklore about vampire strength was at all true. Despite his lack of trust for the situation and for this person, he had to start somewhere. "Even if I did believe all you're saying to me, which I don't..." he stressed the last part, "...what would I need to do?"

Kuro sighed with a little exasperated grin. Did Akatsuki really not believe him, after all this? Apparently he needed to prove it then. "Well for the moment you need to rest to regain your strength," Kuro said, smiling then despite himself. He thought he'd have to drag this guy along every step of the way, fighting him tooth and nail, but here he was being at least a little cooperative, even if he wasn't completely on board. He knew he'd have to work hard to gain this man's trust, but he'd do his best. He'd never taught anyone everything there was to know about being a vampire, starting from the bottom. Every vampire he'd ever known in his existence had either been born, or had been a pet of a pureblood and therefore taught the ropes by their master. He'd never started from scratch. He knew this would be the challenge of a lifetime... Good thing he had many lifetimes yet to live; an eternity of them, actually. In the deepest part of his heart, he prayed that this situation, born out of disaster, despair and uncertainty, could possibly be the cure to his loneliness. He'd been alone for so long that he was almost used to it by now, but being in the presence of this man – his sparkling light grey eyes filled with fear and awe, the faint blushes that colored his cheeks when he got embarrassed, the determined way he tried to hide every emotion – sparked every nerve in his body alive. This man, Akatsuki Yata, had very quickly become the center of gravity for Kuro, drawing him in with an intense, ironclad grip. This stubborn, hot-headed, utterly fascinating newborn was a chance to fill the emptiness that had taken up residence in his heart. Of course, he would help Akatsuki through his difficult transition for his benefit, but he'd also be helping himself, if he could manage it.

"Rest? But…" Akatsuki's eyebrows furrowed. Why rest? He wanted to get this started, so at the very least he could start poking holes in Kuro's fun little story. "But I'm fine," he said, throwing back the covers and swinging his legs off the edge of the bed. The pounding in his head pulsed angrily as he moved, but he ignored it. Placing his bare feet on the cool smooth floorboards, he tried to hoist himself to his feet. His weak muscles protested harshly and trembled at the sudden movement, and his knees buckled as he applied weight to them. Ignoring his traitorous body's reaction, he stood with legs shaking under him, until his left leg gave out and he stumbled to the side, clutching at the pillar of the four-poster bed frame.

"Oh yeah?" Kuro said skeptically, his grin widening and his eyebrow arching. "Then what was that? And your throat, how does that feel – A bit thirsty?"

The burning ache in Akatsuki's throat, almost forgotten during their conversation, suddenly flared back to life with reckless ferocity at its mention, scorching him harshly. He clasped a hand to his throat as he sank back down to sit on the bed, steadying himself. "Whaa–?" he choked.

"I thought so…" Kuro said. "We've got you get you stable, you're falling apart. Wait here a moment." He turned and walked toward the bathroom door, slipping through it and out of sight. Akatsuki heard footsteps on tile, the soft opening on a door and the sound of rummaging through a container of some sort. His distinct hearing amazed him. Kuro returned moments later carrying a clear plastic bag with a clear tube attached to it. The bag held a dark red liquid that looked unmistakably like…

"Blood," he said, dis grin disappearing. He tossed the back across the room at Akatsuki, who caught it nimbly in his right hand, bringing it down to rest in his lap, staring down at it with wide eyes. "Drink it," Kuro ordered.

"Wha–what?!" Akatsuki demanded, eyes snapping up to meet Kuro's serious gaze. "Drink this? But…"

"Your hunger will subside if you drink it. You'll feel better, your body won't hurt as much, I promise."

Akatsuki looked down at the bag in his hands again. He squeezed it slightly between his fingers; the thick liquid sloshed around sickly when touched, making his stomach crawl with disgust. "No way… I–I can't drink this!" he stammered. "Aren't these used in hospitals, for blood transfusions and stuff?"

"Well, we have to get it from somewhere. We can't go around biting and drinking from humans all day long, or we'd risk the exposure of our race. This is a good alternative. The high level vampires who have taken to this way of life have worked out deals with hospital blood banks to have a steady supply on hand. It's the safest way to co-exist."

"So I don't have to… drink from… people?" Akatsuki asked shakily, his heart daring to lighten. One of the many crippling fears that had been nagging at the back of his mind was the thought that'd he'd have to harm humans; biting people, sucking them dry… potentially ending their lives... He'd been so afraid he'd be forced to act like the creatures from nightmares, preying upon the weaker race for his food source. The idea that alternatives to this life actually existed – that vampires had found ways to live peacefully with humans – made him feel infinitely better.

"Of course not. Despite how the nightmarish stories humans love to tell may portray us, some of us choose a life of coexistence. We don't want to hurt anyone. Our hunger can be sated with vampire blood as well as human, so many vampires feed off each other to sate the bloodlust, or they do what I do by purchasing blood. Come on, I'll show you. Bring that with you." He gestured to the blood bag in Akatsuki's hands. He turned around again and started walking toward the bathroom door. When he reached the doorframe, he turned over his shoulder to look at Akatsuki, who still sad on the bed, unmoving. "Are you coming?"

Somewhat warily, Akatsuki rose from the bed, slower this time, taking his time to stretch his muscles and place his feet firmly on the floor. Walking slowly forward so he didn't stumble on his weak legs, he followed Kuro through the bathroom door. The room was huge, covered in floor to ceiling white marble tiles. A large shower, glassed-in with little mosaic tiles that glittered like jewels, covered almost one entire wall with multiple shower heads facing all directions. A sparkling white claw-foot tub took up the middle of the room and a separate smaller room off to the side held the toilet. Dual vanity sinks with white marble countertops were placed against the far wall, and a large ornate silver framed mirror hung above the vanity, directly across from the door. Akatsuki caught sight of himself in the mirror, and he stood rooted to the spot, staring. At first, he didn't think he looked any different, but as he scrutinized his reflection, he started to see little changes in his appearance. For starters, he was wearing a white cotton t-shirt and red flannel pajama pants, much different than the jeans, white button-down shirt, and black jacket he'd last remembered wearing. This annoyed him slightly – where were his clothes? He tried to ignore it and continued to appraise himself. He still had the same body build, lean but with well-defined muscles and broad shoulders. He still had the same face, with angular yet soft bone structure and features. His unconsciously shuffling feet had carried him toward the mirror so he could get a better look. Closer up, he could see that his skin, which has always been somewhat paler than most skin types, now had a perfect creamy texture, even paler than usual. He had slight purple rings under his eyes, making him look tired, but it made his eyes stand out against the pale skin. They were still the same light grey, but now with the tiniest hint of crimson around the outer rim of each iris, barely noticeable but visible with his new acute vision. He stared into those eyes, enthralled. Was this really him? Everything was in sharper focus, every line and curve of his body amplified by his new sight. He looked the same and yet… almost like a stranger… As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was starting to believe...

He heard Kuro clear his throat with a hint of impatience. Akatsuki shook his head to break himself out of his trance, and turned away from the mirror, continuing after Kuro. He'd turned left into a large closet connected to the bathroom. In a corner of the full closest was what looked like a wine wet bar, with a mini fridge under a small granite countertop, several crystal glasses stacked up at to one side, and a small microwave sitting on the counter. Kuro reached down and opened the door to the mini fridge, which was stocked full of dark red bags identical to the one Akatsuki still held in his hand. "You can have as much as you'd like, whenever you'd like," Kuro said. "I had this fridge stocked for you. You'll be thirsty after your transition, more often than a vampire with years of practice at self-control would be." He smirked teasingly at this last statement.

Akatsuki scowled a little. "You mean like you?" he scoffed. A sudden bit of curiosity swam into the forefront of his, one of many he had. "How old are you, anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Hmm… well, age is a difficult question when it comes to vampires," Kuro pondered, raising his hand to his chin in thought. "We don't really go by human ages, but I've been in existence for 264 years. Vampire children age somewhat similarly to human children until the age of 11 or 12, then the aging starts to decrease drastically. The years still pass, but our physical forms begin to age much more slowly. By looks alone, I'd say I'm anywhere from the age of 19 to 22, but I'm not sure how long I'll look like this. I'll just have to play it by ear, I suppose."

"Then what?" Akatsuki asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Then I'm not exactly sure. From what I've heard and read, the more powerful the vampire, the longer they can live without aging much. This really isn't an exact science… vampires can age faster or slower depending on their health, their lifestyle, the power in their blood. For instance, I'm thinking some purebloods would be able to live for millennia without aging so much as a year. Most noble families have books full of stories, biographies, information, family tips… books and letters that get passed down through generations of the families with the answers to questions like these. Or children are taught these things from a young age. But I personally do not have access to that information…"

"Why?" Akatsuki asked, mildly interested, noticing Kuro's eyes darken.

Kuro turned away and kept his head deliberately high and proud, but fixed his eyes on a point on the wall, not really seeing it. "I don't have contact with my family anymore." He was silent for a long moment, still staring resolutely at the same place on the wall, then cleared his throat slightly and gave his head a little shake. "Anyway, drink that up," he said flatly, indicating to the blood bag in Akatsuki's left hand. "It's best while it's first opened." He turned and walked from the closet.

xXxXxXxXx


	3. It must be done

**Chapter 3**

Akatsuki, confused, stood alone in the closet.  He felt a twinge of sympathy for Kuro, and wondered what had happened to him that made his past so hard to talk about.  It couldn’t possibly be worse than his own…  _ or could it _ ?  He turned and left the closet, re-entering the bathroom and out the door into the bedroom.  Kuro stood near the bed, arm raised and resting against the pillar, forehead against his arm.  He looked lost in brooding thought, but a sudden impatient pang in the back of Akatsuki’s throat made him catch his breath.  Noticing the hitch of breath, Kuro turned to face him, looking concerned.

“Um…so…” Akatsuki started awkwardly, still looking down at the blood bag in his hands with disgust.  “Do I just…?”  He indicated to the corked tube connected to the bag.  

Kuro tried to smile reassuringly, although Akatsuki could see through the fakeness in the smile.  “Yes,” Kuro said.  “You just use that tube as a sort of straw.  Cuts down on the mess…” he added dryly.  

Akatsuki felt revolted by the thought of what he was about to do, but he knew he had to go through with it to see through this well thought-out ruse, or to finally accept it to be the truth.  He tentatively uncorked the tube connected to the blood bag.  Almost instantly, the room filled with the intoxicating aroma of blood – irony, minerally, with a slight acidic tang.  The scent seeped down into his very bones, rocking him to the core.  His throat ached violently and he choked.  His eyes began to burn a brilliant shade of crimson, and he could feel his fangs lengthening in response.  His breath came faster, hissing through his throat with low growling sounds, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, which tightened like a vice as the scent of blood in the air became stifling. 

“If that’s not the proof you were looking for, I don’t know what is…” Kuro said grimly.  He appraised Akatsuki carefully as his reaction to the blood became even stronger, watching as the man’s nails slowly lengthened into claws, his eyes glowed fiercely through the room’s dimness, his face white as a sheet and chest heaved with shallow, ragged breaths.  Kuro chuckled darkly.  The man before him looked oddly beautiful in this state… he thought.  And  was almost cute how he was desperately trying to suppress his reaction.  He cocked his head to one side, waiting.  “Well, what are you waiting for?  A parade for your first blood bag?  Or maybe a girl popping out of a cake?  Drink it.” 

Akatsuki tried vainly to keep his head clear, but a dense fog had come rolling in, obscuring all senses except the overwhelming urge to rip, to tear, to devour.  He didn’t want this; he didn’t want to be a  _ monster _ .  Was this how it would always be?  The unbearable urge to kill the moment he was thirsty, the moment he smelled the tiniest hint of blood?  No, he wouldn’t let it be this way.  He’d fight this, with everything he had inside him.   _ He wouldn’t let himself go...   _ With every ounce of strength he had, he lowered the hand that held the bag, letting it fall to his side.  He raised and straightened himself out of the crouched stance he had taken, every muscle fighting him.

“What are you doing?”  Kuro asked, his eyebrow arching in surprise.  “Why don’t you just drink it?  There’s really no use in resisting.  Your body  _ needs  _ it.”

With a colossal effort, Akatsuki turned and took a few shaky steps to his right, placing the bag down on the bedside table.  He purposely left the bag uncorked, allowing the scent of blood to continue to flush around him.  He’d finally managed to somewhat control his heaving chest, breath passing in and out of his lungs without growls now, but still shallow and a bit ragged.  His heartbeat had calmed slightly, no longer pounding painfully against his ribcage as though wishing for escape, but still thudding faster than usual  nevertheless.  His eyes remained a deep red, but his fangs had retracted slightly and the expression on his face looked more sane, and less like… a monster.  “No…” he managed to choke out.

Kuro’s eyes widened with pure shock now.  “Wow…” he said quietly.  “I have never seen this before… A vampire, a thirsty newborn no less, resisting the easiest of prey deep in the thralls of bloodlust… how are you accomplishing this?”

Akatsuki swallowed, trying to dull the ache in his throat, but it burned just as brightly, almost past endurance.  “I just….wanted to see if I could...” he managed to say between ragged breaths. 

“But…” Kuro’s was momentarily stunned by his response.  What kind of crazy abnormal self-control did this man possess?

“I’ll drink it when I’ve fully controlled myself.”  Akatsuki’s voice came out in a bit of a hiss, as he was gritting his teeth, grasping at any bit on control he could.  As hard as it was for him to come to terms with the fact that what Kuro had been telling him from the start was actually real, he was determined not to let it best him.  “When I’m calm, and the ‘bloodlust’ you called it, has subsided, then I will.”  Akatsuki sat on the edge on the bed again, still working to control his breathing.  His bright red eyes were dulling back to their normal grey.

Kuro, who very seldom was overtaken by bloodlust himself – he had all the blood he could ever need on hand – had nevertheless been in Akatsuki’s shoes before; incredibly thirsty, weak, ready to rip into anything that moved.  How on earth was this man accomplishing such an incredible feat?  “You’re suppressing your frantic, starving vampiric nature… there’s no way a newborn can do that.  How did you do that?  Tell me now.”  His voice was a little more fierce and commanding than he’d meant it to be.  He himself was allowing his own emotions to spin a little out of control.

Akatsuki, startled by the sudden ring of command, hung his head, not wanting to meet Kuro’s intense gaze. “I just… I didn’t want to be… like that… I don’t want this…” 

“Like what, a monster?  A  _ vampire _ ?”  Kuro snapped almost angrily, stressing the last word, letting his temper get the better of him a little.  “I know this may a tough concept for you to grasp, but that reaction you just had to the blood should leave absolutely no doubt in your mind that this is what you are.   _ You are a vampire _ ,” he bit out every syllable distinctly, leaving no room for misreading his meaning.  “And the sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll be able to accept that this isn’t going away.  You cannot  _ make _ it go away.  It’s not something that you can wish away with simple willpower and ignoring instinct.”

Akatsuki’s gaze snapped up to meet Kuro’s angered expression.  “Look, I get that I’m a …vampire… okay?  I believe you now…” he admitted.  “But just because I’m a vampire doesn’t mean I have to act like one… I’ll learn to control myself, to keep my humanity.  If I lose who I am, then I’m worse than dead…”

Kuro, a little taken aback by the vehemence of this statement, pondered it.  It was true, the importance of Akatsuki keeping his humanity as long as he could was crucial.  Maybe a clear head and a determined will would prevail in the end.  If a little wishful thinking and self-control helped the other keep sane, who was he to object?  But this may all be impossible, and _ in vain _ , he thought sadly.  No matter how hard they tried, Akatsuki would still more than likely die, or worse fall to a Level E, and Kuro would have to dispose of him.  There was no other way.  Would he be able to do it though?   _ Could _ he?  He doubted it… he was far too entranced now... “Fine,” he said finally, sounding resigned, allowing his temper to fade.  “Do your best to resist what you truly are.  I won’t stop you.  But until you drink that blood, you’re not leaving my sight.”  He folded his arms across his chest and leaned casually against the bedpost, waiting.

Akatsuki, whose vital signs were almost back to normal, sighed heavily, annoyed.  “Fiiiine jeez, keep you panties on…” he growled quietly.  Kuro chuckled under his breath.  Akatsuki reached out for the bag again, taking it from the table.  He felt calmer this time; already enveloped in the scent of the blood, he felt like he could handle this.  Without letting himself think about it too much, he brought the tube to his lips and sucked.  The dark red liquid slid sluggishly up the tube toward his lips, and he sucked harder, closing his eyes to avoid seeing the blood creeping up the tube toward his mouth.  The moment it touched his lips, his senses went into hyper-drive again.  Trying to control his reaction better this time, he breathed deeply in and out through his nose.  He took the first mouthful and swirled it around his mouth, savoring the irony tang of it.  It tasted sweet, but it also had a slightly musty and stale quality, as if it wasn’t perfectly fresh, but the moistness of it wet his parched tongue and cooled the unbearable burning in his throat as he swallowed.  He sucked harder at the bag, allowing the blood’s effect to swallow him, drinking in several more mouthfuls before his crimson eyes rose to meet honey amber ones that were observing him intently.  

Kuro’s heart skipped a beat as he took in the scene before him.  The silver haired man, a light sheen of sweat covering his pale face, clutched at the bag of life source in his hands, sucking greedily.  His eyes, a beautiful smoldering blood red once more, held Kuro’s stunned gaze almost possessively.  Akatsuki paused from drinking for a moment to take a deep breath, and Kuro could see the pale, perfect lips were stained crimson.  His heart spun into overdrive and his stomach fluttered; he’d never seen anything so overwhelming captivating before.  He gulped, heart jumping erratically and helplessly against his chest, and as Akatsuki heard the sound, his lips twitched upward in an unconscious little smirk, his eyes flashing dangerously.  Kuro’s breath hitched in his throat at that look, his pulse rampaging even more wildly, flames of heat lapping at his skin.  He’d never felt this way before… so detached from his usual control.   _ What is happening to me? _ _ I’m swooning like a desperate schoolgirl… get it together Kuro. _

Akatsuki sucked every last drop from the bag, finally lowering it from his stained lips, wiping his chin with the back on his hand.  His eyes never shifted from the other’s fixated gaze, the blood’s effect strong in him now.  “More…” he whispered, almost in a growl. 

Kuro, not hearing him clearly at first due to the loud roaring in his ears, finally snapped out of his trance, breaking their intense locked gaze.  “Of course,” he said a little breathlessly, and ran with inhuman speed back to the fridge, grabbing another bag and returning to the bedroom.  As he reached out to hand the bag to Akatsuki, their fingers grazed against each other.  An electric spark, unlike anything Kuro had ever felt before, shot through his fingers and up his arm, scorching him, leaving behind a tingling sensation that traveled up his arm.  Both startled, jumping back a little, their eyes met for a long moment, before Kuro withdrew his hand and backed away slowly, forcing his expression to remain composed.   _ Seriously, get a grip _ … he thought desperately.   _ You’re letting this guy turn you into a love struck teenager! _

Akatsuki used his teeth to gently pull the stopper from the second bag’s tube in one fluid motion, and began to drink it in earnest.  He’d also felt the electric zing travel through his own fingers as he’d touched Kuro’s, and he’d heard the other’s pounding heartbeat, and had had barely been able to contain his own feral and delighted reaction.  Breathing shallowly, he tried to control his own racing heart.  It wasn’t beating this fiercely solely from the rich blood flooding him anymore... Through his blood-filled haze, he registered the other’s tentative glances, which were almost shy and embarrassed, and he knew the other had felt it too.  He turned away as Kuro caught his look, his lips turning up in a slight smile.  He sipped at the tube slower this time, savoring each gulp as it slid smoothly down his throat, deadening the ache there to just a whisper.  The flavor was a little off; he tasted a sourness that almost overpowered the sweet taste he thought it should have.  But what did he know?  This was his first experience tasting blood, after all.  He grimaced slightly as he took the last pull from the bag, setting it next to the first one on the table.  His body felt much better after the blood; his head had stopped pounding, the tightness in his chest had almost completely evaporated, and the burning in his throat had subsided to a very subtle, dull ache.  His muscles already felt better, stronger and powerful as he flexed them tentatively. 

“Well?” Kuro asked, noticing the other’s appraisal of his own body.

“It’s not bad.  At least I’m not thirsty anymore, and physically, I feel way better.  But it tastes… kind of…”

“Dead?” Kuro finished for him, half smiling.  “Yeah, blood bags tend to taste like that, unless they were freshly filled at the blood bank.  Anything that has been sitting for more than a few hours starts to take on that taste.  Tastes kind of musty, right?”  Akatsuki nodded, licking his lips clean absentmindedly.  Kuro’s voice faltered a fraction the moment he did this, his stomach flip-flopping.  Trying to ignore his betraying reactions, he continued.  “Any blood, no matter where it comes from, is always the best when it’s fresh.  That’s why some vampires, the ones who don’t go out of their way to coexist peacefully with humans, still drink right from the source.  Some, however, still want the experience of fresh blood even if they aren’t willing to harm humans.  That’s why many vampires choose to drink from each other.”  

“So… vampires… really drink from  _ each other _ ?” Akatsuki asked, his cheeks coloring slightly, embarrassed just saying the words.  He realized that there was no real reason to be embarrassed; seemed normal enough, and it was a way to bypass the need to feed on humans, but the thought of being fed from, being bitten for any reason, had his pulse quickening again. 

“Yes,” Kuro replied.  “Besides the blood bags, that’s the best way to sate the hunger.  We don’t  _ need _ human blood, we can survive on vampire blood as well…  It’s also a huge part of… bonding…” he blushed furiously, also getting embarrassed about the subject matter.

“Bonding?” Akatsuki said incredulously, raising his eyebrows, fascinated and also somewhat horrified but intrigued nonetheless. 

“Yes,” he said tentatively, inwardly cursed himself for even bringing it up. “Vampires can bond and mate for life.  If you’ve found that person to spend eternity with, whether in a romantic relationship or just a mutually beneficial blood partnership, two vampires can create a bond through their blood.”

“What’s that?”  Akatsuki cut in.

“When two vampires bite and drink from each other, their blood mixes together in each person, and it creates a powerful mental and emotional bond between them called a blood bond.  Their minds, bodies, and souls form a connection and become in-tune to one another, much more so than the normal vampire-to-vampire relationship.  It is possible to drink from a vampire without bonding, if the feeding is only one way.  Because of the power and intimacy behind the act of blood bonding, many vampires choose to only drink from that one other to avoid making multiple unnecessary bond, which are often difficult to ignore.  Of course, this isn’t always the case.  Some vampires completely disregard this, doing whatever they want and feeding from whomever they please, ignore the bonding… Part of being powerful and immortal is enjoying the spoils that come with it…”  He said this last part with a bitter tone, as though he despised vampires like this who went against the rules.

“Which are?” Akatsuki prompted, his blood-logged mind, not altogether his normal self, was thoroughly intrigued now.

“The pursuit of knowledge, mastery of skills, wealth, social power... in this particular case that we’re speaking about, blood hoarding and …promiscuity…” Kuro explained, trailing off slightly at the last word.  “When you live forever, you’ve got a lot of time on your hands…”

“And you?  Which of these  _ skills _ have you mastered?” Akatsuki questioned, a noticeable silky inflection permeating his voice.  The words spilled right out before he had a chance to stop them   _ Wait, what was he saying?  Why was he talking like this?   _ So unlike him… It must be the blood messing with him… he just wasn’t used to it yet…

“Uh… well… I can play a multitude of musical instruments, and I am fluent in obvious English, Japanese, Latin, Italian, French, Spanish and German languages.  I’ve also mastered the games of chess and shogi, but it’s hard to know my true skill level when my only opponent is Kagori… And I guess I spend a lot of my time reading, so there’s the pursuit of knowledge…” his voice trailed off again as he blushed, somehow knowing that these weren’t the things Akatsuki had really inquired about. 

Akatsuki shifted slightly on the bed, sitting back more comfortably, looking thoroughly relaxed.  He regarded the other with an interest that didn’t look altogether innocent.  This current topic, as well as the pink flush coloring Kuro’s cheeks, were piquing his interest, fascinating his blood-fogged brain.  “So… do you have any of these…’bonds’?” he asked, again before the conscious part of his mind.  It instantly cursed at him.  What?!   _ Why the hell would you just ask him that?!  _  It  _ must _ be the blood pulsing within him that was making him act so strangely.  He was  _ never _ this forward, especially speaking to another man, about this kind of stuff.

Kuro blushed even deeper, and despite his embarrassment, he kept his eyes resolutely on Akatsuki, determined not to act like the prey the silver haired man saw him as in his bloodlust state.  “No… I don’t,” he said quietly.  He had far too much pride to ever admit it, but he’d never really had anyone that close to him that he’d been interested in, let alone a  _ mate _ .  He’d never been as interested in someone as he was with the silver haired man before him, but he would never say so.  Not yet, at least… He didn’t want to screw up the extremely fragile dynamic they were creating.

Hearing the quiet hint of shame and desperation in the brunette’s voice, Akatsuki finally snapped himself out of his disturbing sultry mental state, felt ashamed of himself then.   _ Why are you acting like this, you idiot?  Knock it off! _  He blushed furiously as well.  “I’m sorry, I don’t exactly know what that was... I didn’t mean to be insensitive... or…bold... or...” he tried, but Kuro waved his hand, brushing it off.

“It’s nothing,” Kuro said.  “It’s just the blood, it sometimes makes us say things we normally wouldn’t.  Don’t worry about it.” He on another one of his fake smiles that Akatsuki could see right through.  He smiled back in reassurance however, and silently vowed to think more before he spoke.  

“So…” Akatsuki promoted, attempting awkwardly to change the subject.  “When will I be thirsty again?  When will I need to… feed?”  He cringed at the last word. 

“Well I can’t be sure.  I’m only assuming that newborn vampires will need to feed more often, as their self-control is lower and their thirst is higher.  But I really don’t know.  We’ll just have to wait and see.” 

“So how are we going to do this then?  Can I... I don’t know… call you when I’m thirsty or something?  Or can I buy some of these bags off you to bring home with me?  I’m not exactly Mister Money Bags at the moment but I can pay you for–”  

“What?  No!” Kuro said in a raised voice, suddenly quite alarmed.  “I can’t let you leave here.”

“‘ _ Can’t let me leave _ ?’  What do you mean?” Akatsuki questioned, confused. 

“You’re going to have to stay here with me so I can keep an eye on you… so I can keep you safe...”  Kuro replied.  “And to keep the rest of the city safe too,” he added as an afterthought. 

“You really think I’m  _ that _ dangerous that you have to keep me locked up here?” Akatsuki scowled, getting annoyed now.  He wasn’t expected to stay here forever, was he?

Kuro kept his face impassive.  “No, not locked up,  _ per say _ .  Just… under observation.  I don’t want you biting and feeding off humans when you get too thirsty; you don’t know to completely control yourself yet… one experience with blood doesn’t mean you’re ready to take on humans.   You’ve shown you can somewhat handle your bloodlust around a stale blood bag, but can you handle being surrounded by human presence, and  _ fresh  _ human blood?  Who knows what could happen… No, we can’t have that…. not yet.  You’ll be free to come and go as you please, when you’re under control.  You can’t leave here if you feel even the tiniest bit thirsty or unstable.”

“Fine, then I’ll come here every day for a drink, and be on my way,” Akatsuki retorted hotly, not exactly appreciating being treated like a child.

“I thought I was teaching you how to be one of us,” Kuro said with a concerned look.  “You know absolutely nothing about being a vampire.  How do you expect to just go on living your normal human life when you don’t even know how to control yourself?  You don’t know when you’ll fall to hunger.  We have no idea… remember, this isn’t an exact science.  I really think you should stay here...”

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll be just fine,” Akatsuki stood, and moving to leave, suddenly realized he was still in pajamas.  “Can I have my clothes back, please?”

“I seriously can’t let you leave,” Kuro insisted firmly, his face set seriously. 

They glared at each other for a long moment, eyes from both sides blazing with intensity.  Akatsuki moved to his left toward the door, but Kuro moved in step with him, blocking his exit.  Increased his speed and switching, he moved to the right, but Kuro again blocked his path faster than a blink, as though he hadn’t moved at all.  Akatsuki, growling under his breath, stopped and thought about it for a moment; this was obviously a battle he wasn’t going to win.  This vampire, although seemingly friendly enough most of the time, was much stronger and faster than he was, a centuries old vampire versus a newborn.  He knew how that’d turn out... he’d have no chance in hell.  He sighed exasperatedly, which turned into a low growl as he tugged at his silver locks with his fists in frustration. “Gahhh fiiiine!” he growled, thoroughly annoyed now. “I’ll stay, alright?  I’ll let you ‘ _ teach’  _ me.  But once I’m stable and I’ve got some ‘ _ vamp’ _ knowledge under my belt, I’m out.  K?” 

Kuro’s furrowed brow deepened.  Akatsuki seemed so frustrated and annoyed… like the thought of staying with him and learning from him were highly distasteful.  Was his offer of assistance really  _ that  _ horrible?  He was indeed putting himself out on a limb to help the newborn, willing to spend his time and energy to take him under his wing.  Why was he being treated like some sort of revolting pariah?  Understandably so, this was a lot to comprehend and even more to become adjusted to, but even so…

Akatsuki saw the dejected look that the amber eyes betrayed and he immediately regretted his rash display of distaste. “Look, I didn’t mean–… I–… it’s not like I’m not appreciative of your offer.  It’s just…” he was tripping over his words, unable to string his thoughts together. “I’m just… not very good at… accepting other’s help…” he blushed again at his confession.

Kuro’s brow relaxed. “Well, admitting you have a problem is the first step in correcting it,” he replied, the concern leaving his eyes as the corners of his mouth turning at in a sly smirk.

“Yeah yeah,” Akatsuki scoffed, grinning slightly despite his earlier annoyance.  “So, if I’m staying here, where–”

Kuro gestured around the room with his hands, grinning.  “Right here.  This will be your room.  The bathroom is yours as well.  You’ll also have free reign of the whole house too, of course; I want you to feel as comfortable as possible.”  

Somehow doubting he’d ever feel truly comfortable here, Akatsuki nodded in appreciation.  “What about all my stuff?” he inquired.  “Can I at least go to my apartment and get some things?”

“You haven’t noticed?” Kuro asked, looking slightly sheepish.

“Noticed what?” Akatsuki replied warily.

Kuro paused for a moment, studying him, wondering if this was going to be another situation that’d spark the newborn’s temper. “Follow me,” he instructed as h turned and entered the bathroom once more.  Akatsuki followed, curious now.  Kuro again turned left into the attached closet.  He gestured to the racks of clothes Akatsuki hadn’t noticed before, and he suddenly gasped.  The shirts, sweatshirts and jackets hanging above, folded pants hanging below, as well as all the shoes lying in neat rows on the floor, were all  _ his _ .  He gawked at his crisply hung apparel, his mouth hanging open in complete shock.

Kuro picked up a black duffle bag that was lying on the floor next to his shoes and handed it to Akatsuki.  “I also had the butler grab some things from your apartment that you may need.  Your laptop, iPod, the books sitting out of your coffee table…”  He reached into the bag and removed a battered copy of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. “Great choice, by the way…” he said, the sheepishness in his voice increasing.

“You… but… yo–…I…”  Akatsuki spluttered.  “You were in my apartment?  You went through my stuff?!”  

“No no,  _ I  _ didn’t!” Kuro said quickly, holding his hands up in defensive surrender.  “Kagori did.”

“Kagori?” Akatsuki asked, confused.

“Yes, my butler,” Kuro replied.  He turned toward the door and raised his voice slightly. “Kagori?” he called.  Seconds later, a middle aged man stood before them, blonde hair slicked back cleanly and blue eyes sparkled behind wire-rim glasses perched upon his long nose. He wore an impeccably crisp tuxedo, complete with tailcoats and all, and dazzlingly polished black shoes.  Akatsuki looked him over in surprise.  “And no, I don’t make him dress like this.  He chooses to on his own,” Kuro chuckled.

“A butler must always look his best.  You called, Master?” the man named Kagori said expectantly.

“I just wanted you to formally introduce you to our new house guest.  This is Akatsuki Yata.  Please make sure he’s well taken care of and has anything he could possibly need during his stay.”

“Of course, Sir,” Kagori replied, inclining his head in a little bow.  Turning his attention to Akatsuki, he gave another, lower bow of greeting. “Welcome, Master Yata.”  

Akatsuki didn’t particularly care for being regarded so formally; it made him feel uncomfortable. “Uh… A–Akatsuki is fine,” he said awkwardly. “And thanks for getting my stuff…”

“Of course, Master Akatsuki,” Kagori replied, inclining his head in respect.

“Not Master, just Akat–” he began, but Kuro cut him off.

“Just let it go...” he advised with a smile.  “That’ll be all, Kagori, thank you,” he said to his butler.

“Master,” Kagori bent at the waist in a full bow this time, and exited the closet.

Akatsuki stared after Kagori for a moment, then turned back to Kuro. “You have a  _ butler _ ?” 

“Of course.  Most noble vampire households do.”

“Wait a minute... If you have my stuff here already… How long have I been here?”

“A little over 24 hours,” Kuro replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “You were unconscious the whole time.  …You look upset… is there a problem with your things?”

“Well, no…” Akatsuki said, a little shaken.  “It’s just… you brought my things here without asking me, like you knew from the start what was going to happen…”

Kuro’s smile was a little abashed.  “Well, when I found you in the cemetery, you were in pretty rough shape.  I could sense what was happening to you.  Your body had begun to break down from lack of sustenance.  I couldn’t just leave you there.  I knew you’d need assistance maneuvering through this transition once you woke up.  As a brand new vampire, I wasn’t going to let you leave here until you’re stable and trained, period.  Hence bringing your things here.”

“So, just so I understand…” Akatsuki started, annoyed. “You broke into my apartment, took my stuff and brought it here, all based on what you  _ thought _ was best for me?  What happened to asking someone first, you know, common courtesy?” He paused then, noticing a flaw in Kuro’s grand plan. “Wait… I haven’t even technically said yes!  You swindled me into this!” 

“How could I ask you when you’re unconscious?” Kuro winked.  “You’ll thank me, you know,” he grinned slyly as he turned and left Akatsuki alone in the closet.

Akatsuki sighed heavily to calm his slightly risen temper.   _ Oh man _ … he thought, shaking his head.  This guy is persistent, a bit arrogant, and he really doesn’t mind stepping on some toes to get what he wants.  Too bad he does it with that smile on his face so it’s not like I can even be mad at him for it.   _ Can I really trust him to have my best interests at heart? _  Or will this haughty noble attitude prove otherwise?  He really hoped Kuro truly was his ally here…   _ I’ll just have to be careful… I can’t let my guard down… _

Exiting the bathroom, Akatsuki saw Kuro leaning casually against one of the bed pillar again, arms folded across his chest.  A slight smile was playing around his lips as he surveyed his silver haired guest curiously.   “You know what?”  Kuro said, pausing before speaking again, giving his lips a quick little lick.  “I’m hungry...”

Akatsuki froze in the bathroom doorway, his nerves jumping horribly and his stomach overturning. …Hungry?  But… that meant… his heart began to race and his palms started to sweat.  He wanted to run; to sprint from the room as fast as he could, putting as much distance between himself and Kuro as possible, but he was rooted to the spot with dread, and ensnared by the seductive way Kuro licked his flushed lips.  This was a little fast, wasn’t it? he thought.  He could barely breathe, his heart was beating so fast in his chest.  His lungs didn’t seem to be working properly.

Kuro took in the sight of his reaction and threw back his head, laughing heartily; Akatsuki’s stomach fluttered at the attractive sound of it, despite his gripping fear. “Geez, lighten up!  I’m only messing with you...  I meant  _ actual _ food.   _ You’re _ not on the menu.”

“But… before, you said–” Akatsuki choked, but he was cut off mid-sentence.

“That vampires feed off each other?  Yeah, I know what I said.  But all in good time my friend.  We can also eat human food, and I’ve got a real craving for fried chicken!” he grinned broadly.  “Come on!”  He crossed the room in long, graceful strides, exiting the room through the tall double doors, leaving Akatsuki alone to try to control his heaving breath.  


	4. Dinner Time

**Chapter 4:**

Once his heart had stopped hammering, Akatsuki followed Kuro out the double doors that led into a long lavishly carpeted hallway, turning left and walking past several closed doors before reaching a stairway landing. Kuro was nowhere in sight, but Akatsuki could sense his presence in the direction he was heading, so he continued forward at a human pace; there was really no hurry. He descended the long staircase into a large high ceilinged foyer. To the left of the staircase was a wide archway that opened into a comfortably decorated living room, with soft looking white couches and leather armchairs, decorative pillows, a cream plush rug covering the dark hardwood floors, and lamps playing warm golden light around the room. The color scheme was similar to the rest of the house; creams, browns, reds and golds. It looks like this vampire liked the finer things and seemed pretty good at decorating, he thought. Through the large curtain opened windows, the last brilliant streaks of sunset stained the sky, the sun falling behind a picturesque scene of mountain ranges and tree covered bluffs. He had to raise his hand to shield his sensitive eyes from the blazing streak of light that fell into the room, as it burned far too brightly. The sun hurt a little, but not enough to stop him from marveling at the beautiful view outside. He could tell by the color of the light that the windows had some sort of UV protection on them, like car windows did.

Although momentarily distracted by the scene outside, he concentrated once more on following his senses. He could smell Kuro's scent lingering in the air to his right, moving away from the living room. He walked through the open foyer to the mouth of a long hallway, with closed doors on either side. As he walked past two doors on either side of him, he sensed Kuro's presence close by and could smell his scent hovering around the door to his left. Knowing what he would find if he opened that door, he reached for the handle and wrenched the door open, a triumphant grin playing around his lips. But it was only a supply closet, filled with brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies. Confused, Akatsuki went to turn back down the hallway when two gentle hands caught his upper arms, sending more electric sparks down them at the touch, identical the first time. Kuro leaned in, his lips suddenly mere inches away from Akatsuki's left ear; he could feel the other's warm, deliciously sweet scented breath on the side of his neck. Startled, he flinched, and an involuntary shiver ran down his neck and all the way down his spine at the sensation, his breath coming out in a little gasp

"Boo," Kuro whispered, chuckling softly. "Too bad you fell for my trick." Akatsuki could hear the smirk in his voice. "I was testing you, to see if you'd go looking for me for my scent or my aura. I suppressed my aura to see if you'd fall for the scent I marked in that closet…" As Kuro spoke, his lips moved in closer, almost touching the cold metal earrings on Akatsuki's left ear. Akatsuki's heart began to race wildly as Kuro's parted lips drew still closer to his neck, just millimeters now from landing on the soft skin under his ear…. His mind was fogging over and he couldn't think straight, even though a voice in the back of his head was screaming at him to run. "You really should be more careful…" Kuro's soft, somewhat dangerous voice whispered.

Frantically shaking his head to clear it, Akatsuki spun around out of Kuro's grasp. "Don't go scaring me like that!" he barked.

"Oh fine, I'm sorry for startling you. I was just testing you. And having a little fun," Kuro shrugged casually. He hadn't been able to help himself… his usual control kept slipping where the newborn was concerned; he could still feel that bit of yearning roiling within him from minutes before, seeing the newborn in his bloodlust...

"You can't just… do stuff like that!" Akatsuki said a little shakily, trying to ward off the warm pulses he felt on his skin where Kuro had touched him. "I'm new at this… you can't just mess with me like that…" His entire body felt hot… Why was he reacting like that? Whether it was the fact that Kuro was a vampire and could have easily ripped out his throat just now, or was it proximity of Kuro's lips to his skin… he wasn't totally sure… But he was noticing that this guy seemed like a bit of a pervert, which embarrassed him and wasn't making this any easier.

"Aww you're no fun!" Kuro pouted. "So serious all the time… lighten up!" He smirked playfully as he walked past Akatsuki, continuing down the hallway. "Or we're not going to have any fun in this…" he said quietly over his shoulder, his eyes flashing. But his inner voice was nowhere near as smooth and teasing as his outer one. _What the hell are you doing, Kuro?_

Still standing stiffly with stomach fluttering wildly, Akatsuki scowled. He didn't like feeling like this, like Kuro was simply playing games with him. He also didn't care for how crazy his reactions were when Kuro was that near to him, looking at him, touching him. "Who said vampire training had be fun?" he grumbled.

"Who said it didn't?" Kuro called, almost at the end of the hallway now. Akatsuki sighed and followed him. The hallway opened up into a brightly lit, open-concept kitchen and eating area. It was a chef's dream kitchen; with large dual ovens, multiple cooktops, a large granite island gleamed in the middle of the room, and pots and pans hanging from an ornate rack on the ceiling. A double fridge stood against one wall, and a deep farmhouse sink lay under the window. Despite his annoyance with Kuro, Akatsuki whistled softly in surprise as he stepped into the large room and flinched slightly, his still bare feet sensitive to the cool tiles.

"You like?" Kuro asked, giving Akatsuki a sidelong appraising glance.

"What's not to like?" Akatsuki admired, his anger at Kuro subsiding somewhat. "It's a great kitchen. And a great house from what I've seen so far. You've got a good eye for décor."

Kuro's cheeks colored slightly, a faint smile tugging up his lips. "Thank you." He watched the silver haired man gaze around the bright kitchen, his eyes glinting with pride. "Do you like to cook?"

"Yeah, sometimes," Akatsuki said, averting his eyes, but smiled slightly despite himself. He wasn't going to admit to Kuro how much he actually _loved_ to cook. This kitchen was perfect; exactly what he'd want his dream kitchen to look like. His own tiny apartment only had a small two burner stove, barely any counter space and a dinky little microwave. What he would give to be able to cook in a kitchen like this…

"Well, you live here now, so you can cook whatever and whenever you want," Kuro said, still watching his expression. "You won't need to though, because Kagori can prepare all of your meals."

"That's okay, I can cook for myself," Akatsuki assured him.

"You really won't need to. Kagori can do it all."

Akatsuki stayed silent, letting it go. As Kuro had said his name, Kagori entered the kitchen through a side door, bowing first to Kuro, then to Akatsuki. "Masters," he said in respectful greeting. "How may I serve you?"

"I'm thinking fried chicken for dinner," Kuro said, licking his lips again in anticipation. "And those little corn muffins you're so good at making," he added.

"Can I help?" Akatsuki asked Kagori, but he could barely get the sentence before Kuro was grabbing him by the upper arm, pulling him from the kitchen. "Hey! But I–" he protested as he was unceremoniously dragged through the doorway back out in the hallway. "I can walk, you know!" he barked, wrenching his arm free. "I just wanted to see if he needed any help."

"Kagori can handle things. It's what he does. You're a guest here, you don't need to be helping in the kitchen," Kuro sighed exasperatedly.

Akatsuki frowned, then gave up. "Whatever. Fine, you win. Seems like that's happening a lot around here."

"Now you're getting it!" Kuro smirked, turning to continue down the hallway, but Akatsuki's next words pulled him up short.

Akatsuki had stopped walking, his scowl deepening. He did feel annoyed, but his new over exuberant emotions, in particular the uncontrollable anger that was always hovering right below the surface of boiling point since he'd awoken, was curling around his stomach again without his permission and had decided to bubble over. "So is this how things are going to be while I'm staying here?" he said quietly, ice permeating from his voice. "' _Your house, your rules'_ , I get that… But are you going to treat me like some captive, someone you can jerk around on a string, like… some _plaything_?"

Akatsuki's dangerous inflection on the last word seriously caught Kuro off guard. He turned, meeting the eyes of the man before him. The light grey eyes blazed with anger, his shoulders tense and his hands balled into fists at his sides. He'd had obviously done or said something to really upset him. _Oh no…_ he thought... _Well this was off to a swimming start, wasn't it?_ "No, of course not," he said, trying not to let his voice show how off guard he was.. "I just…" He stopped short, not knowing how to explain himself properly. He just felt such an uncontrollable, incomprehensibly strong pull toward this man that it was throwing him off balance, not allowing him to fully act like himself. "I'm sorry for making you feel that way, it was never my intention. I just… I don't know how to _do this…_ your presence is hard for me to get used to…" His shoulders slumped the tiniest amount.

"So you don't know how to do what, act normal?" Akatsuki retorted, his shoulders relaxing slightly at Kuro's intense expression of remorse, but he was still thoroughly annoyed.

"I suppose," Kuro said quietly with a sad little smile, dropping his gaze to the floor. "I don't know how to not… be alone…"

"What do you mean?" Akatsuki asked, slightly confused, his anger evaporating at the brunette's heartfelt confession.

"Comes with the territory, I suppose," Kuro said, his voice taking on a barely contained bitterness. "Noble in class often makes for a separated life, apart from normal society. I was educated at home, and I was never truly allowed to socialize with people my own age in my youth. A life full of business meetings with my father, etiquette schooling with my mother, formal parties and dinners… being forced to be the most prim and proper little vampire child… I couldn't take it. And even being surrounded with vampire society's elite felt completely and utterly alone. When I was old enough to be out on my own, I chose to leave it all behind. Not much love lost there…" He paused then… fiddling with the ring on his right ring finger. The ornate silver ring encased a brilliantly blood red stone, a coat of arms etched into either side of the large stone.

"Yeah but… You're not really alone, though; you've got Kagori. And you must have friends now, right? People you met after you left home?"

"Not really…" Kuro confessed, forcing his voice and eyes to remain steady and passive. "Coworkers really… well, subordinates actually… I never really had the opportunity to meet people other than professionally. Because vampire society is all about power, wealth, and expressing one's class, people keep you at arm's length when they can sense that you're of a superior class. And yes, even though Kagori's presence keeps me from being _truly_ alone, I still tend to feel very isolated." He sighed and shook his bowed head with a pretend little smile. "Ahh the life of a noble, a gift and a curse. Nevermind about it."

Akatsuki felt a pang of sadness and sympathy for the noble vampire standing in front of him, that feigned happy twinkle upon his face clearly put there purely for show. What a life this must have been, with no one to keep him company but his parents, who seemed to only treat him like a last name, nothing more than the continuation of the family legacy and bloodline. The brunette obviously resented his family for keeping him cooped up, or otherwise parading him around like a show pony. Akatsuki didn't know how he felt, but he still felt bad that he'd had to go through that.

"I am really sorry for messing you around though," Kuro continued, looking genuinely apologetic now.

Akatsuki nodded. "It's fine, just watch it with the touching though, okay? I'm still getting used to this extra sensory stuff… okay?"

"But what about during training?" Kuro's grinned slyly, his mischievous air coming back to him. "I'll have to touch you when we spar."

" _Spar_?" Akatsuki's eyebrows rose in interest. "What will this training be, anyway? Combat training?"

"Think of it as Vampire Boot Camp. Or maybe Vampire 101 as a college course." Kuro winked, chuckling at his own little joke. "I'll teach you everything I can so you'll be able to be a functioning member of vampire society."

"Hmm… fine," Akatsuki agreed. "Sounds okay to me."

"Great! We'll start tomorrow then." Kuro chirped happily, all earlier traces of his depressed mood gone.

"Tomorrow? But…" Akatsuki protested. He was antsy to get started now.

"Yes. Tonight, I need you to rest up. Make sure the blood takes, and makes you strong."

"Oh, okay sure," Akatsuki said vaguely, letting it go. Fine, we'd do this Kuro's way...

"Come on, Kagori will serve us in the dining room," Kuro said, turning again, leading Akatsuki down the hallway and back out into the foyer. To their right was a pair of tall French doors, trimmed in white and paned with crystallized glass. Kuro turned the handle and pushed the doors open, revealing a traditionally decorated dining room with a long oak table and eight finely upholstered chairs taking up the middle of the room. Standing in a corner was an ornate china cabinet, encasing gold trimmed plates and tall crystal goblets. Under the large window was a wheeled serving tray, holding napkins, napkins rings and shining silver cutlery.

"You know, I did say you decorated well, but in some ways – like this room, for instance – you have the home of a 50 year old woman," Akatsuki commented teasingly.

"And what, pray tell, is wrong with that?" Kuro sniffed indignantly.

"Nothing really, just not much of the traditional bachelor pad," Akatsuki said, running his fingers through the gold fringe of the table runner spread out across the table lengthwise. He plucked delicately at a piece of fringe, raising his eyebrow as he looked at Kuro appraisingly. "So what's up with it?"

Kuro paused thoughtfully. "When I left home, I didn't have anywhere to go. I had to make a life for himself. Thank goodness my parents didn't leave me out to dry completely… not financially, anyway. I still had my trust funds and my inheritance… they wouldn't want a vampire of noble blood and one of their own kin living on the street. Quite unbecoming and dreadful for _their_ reputation…. Anyway, I had Kagori pick out and buy a house. I don't really care where I live or how it's decorated for the most part; I'd live in an apartment for all I care, but Kagori wouldn't hear of it. Sure, maybe he went a little overboard," he gestured around him, meaning the whole house and its immense size, "but I let him have free reign. He came with me from my parent's home. He's taken care of me my whole life, so my parents didn't want me to part from him. I had Kagori decorate it too; it didn't really matter to me…"

"But I enjoyed it immensely, Sir," a voice chimed from behind them. Kagori had entered the room, carrying a tray holding a bottle of wine, two wine glasses, a pitcher of water, and two crystal water goblets. He set the tray on the table, removing the crystal goblets and placing them in front of two places at the table; the head of the table and the one directly next to it. He then placed the wine glasses next to the goblets. "Gentlemen, please be seated," he said as he bowed to them both, pulling out the chair at the head of the table, indicating that they should sit.

Kuro sat first, motioning his hand at the chair directly next to him on his right, implying that Akatsuki should sit there. Akatsuki sat, feeling slightly awkward at the formalness of the room and place settings. He studied Kuro out of the corner of his eye. So… he may came off as a pampered little rich boy, with the big house and the butler and everything, but he was really more down to earth than he seemed. Akatsuki could sense a sort of darkness and a pain past wavering just beneath the suave appearance and lively smile that Kuro kept firmly in place.

Kagori picked up the bottle of white wine, turning it so the label was clearly visible to the two men sitting. "Would you care for some wine?" he offered. "It is a vintage chardonnay. Bright and crisp, yet sweet. I believe it will be to your liking."

"You know what I'd like Kagori, thank you," Kuro said. Kagori inclined his head, and quietly left the room.

Akatsuki looked at Kuro quizzically. Kuro gave him an answering smile. "I prefer red wine."

"Red wine? Really? But white goes so much better with chicken," Akatsuki said skeptically.

Kuro looked slightly surprised, before quickly checking his expression. "You know wine pairings? So you do know how to cook then," he smirked appreciatively. "However, it's not really the wine I want."

Kagori reentered the room then, carrying an unlabeled dark red bottle. The moment he pulled the cork from the bottle, Akatsuki could smell the faint scent of blood, growing stronger with each passing second as it filled the air around them. His throat, which had been aching dully in the background, tightened.

"We call this our blood wine. Kagori makes it himself," Kuro said, turning his head and beaming up at Kagori.

"Indeed," Kagori said. "Would you like to try some, Master Akatsuki?"

Akatsuki hesitated, swallowing nervously to reduce the lump in his throat. "Um... no thanks... The regular wine will be fine for me," he said. He wasn't sure how much blood his system could handle at once, and he wasn't about to test it on his first day.

Kuro shot him a look that clearly said ' _wimp',_ but he let it go. "Fine, more for me then," he said, holding out his wine glass for Kagori to fill. The dark red liquid poured into his glass, causing the scent in the air to heighten, constricting Akatsuki's throat still further. He swallowed again and tried to ignore it; he'd have to practice this. Kuro sipped at his wine as Kagori walked around the table to fill Akatsuki's glass with the white wine.

"Dinner will be ready shortly," he said, and bowing, he backed out of the room.

"So…" Kuro said conversationally, swirling his liquid around the glass between his long fingers. "I'd like to know a little more about you."

Akatsuki hesitated, feeling like this might would end up being more of an interrogation than an conversation. There was no way he was going to divulge too much personal information, but it all depended on the questions… "Uh, alright," he said tentatively. "What would you like to know?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"That's a bit of a broad statement, don't you think?" Akatsuki, taking a sip of his wine. He was dry and brisk with a sweet finish, exactly how he liked his wine. "What specifically do you want to know?"

"Fine then. Let's start with some basics. Where are you from, originally?"

"Tokyo, born and raised," Akatsuki said.

"Never wanted to move elsewhere?" Kuro asked.

Akatsuki paused. He'd thought about it, and had wanted to, but Ishino's doctors were here, and he didn't think uprooting him was in anyone's best interest. He'd also thought seriously about moving after Ishino's death to get a fresh start, but he had a hard enough time getting out of bed every day, let alone dealing with moving… "Just… haven't felt like moving anywhere else…" he said cautiously.

"And what do you do for a living?"

"I'm in the police academy at the moment, training to be an officer," Akatsuki said.

"Ahh the Force, huh? A noble and hardworking profession. And how is it going for you?" Kuro asked.

"Fine, I suppose. I'll graduate and be a full time officer after I fulfill my training hours. It may take longer than expected though, because… I've been taking some time off..." he said, his voice trailing off.

"How long?" Kuro inquired.

"…a while," Akatsuki said quietly. With everything that had been happening in his life lately, the last thing on his mind had been work, and his commanding officer had understood. He'd insisted he take time to collect himself and rejoin the recruits when he was more focused...

Kuro, who looked slightly concerned at the way Akatsuki's face hardened almost as if in pain, leaned forward in his chair slightly toward him. "Oh? And why is that?"

Akatsuki stared down, fixing his gaze deliberately on the wine glass in his hand. He didn't answer right away, but Kuro waited patiently. "I…" Akatsuki started, but the words caught in his throat, and he couldn't continue. His brows pulled together, but he tried his hardest to keep his face from screwing up with pain-filled lines.

"…You're in mourning," Kuro stated matter-of-factly in a quiet voice. It wasn't a question.

Akatsuki's gaze snapped up, eyes wide with surprise. "What? How did you…?" he asked breathlessly.

"When I found you at the cemetery, I noticed the grave you had been next to when you collapsed. I saw the picture of that boy… he looks _exactly_ like you, just a perfect younger version. And I read the name on the headstone; Ishino Yata." He paused then, examining the dark liquid in his wine glass thoughtfully. He knew the answer to the question before he asked it. "That boy… was he your br–"

"My brother, yeah…" Akatsuki cut in sharply, suddenly standing, the chair screeching out behind him. He'd set the wine glass down on the table hard and it wobbled slightly, threatening to tip over, but thankfully straightened before doing so. He'd placed his heavily shaking hands upon the table in front of him for support; his legs felt like jelly and barely held his weight. His his head was down, his silver hair falling across his eyes, hiding the anger and torment in them from view. He had felt the question coming; it'd been hanging awkwardly in the air around them from the moment they met – the question of why he'd been in the cemetery at all that day. He didn't want to talk about this… especially with someone he just met, someone who he still didn't trust yet. Why was this guy even asking questions when it seemed like he already knew the answers? _I bet he really can read minds…_ he thought angrily. _I don't need this..._

"Hey, are you alright?" Kuro asked, his voice full of concern.

"…I'm fine," Akatsuki bit out before straightening up and turning swiftly to leave the room.

"But– hey wait! Yata!" Kuro's voice called as Akatsuki crossed the threshold of the dining room. He decided to test his new vampire speed, desperate to get away from the thoughts he always tried to keep at bay. He sprinted forward as fast as he could, and wind whistled in his ears as he entered the foyer and started up the stairs at full speed. He'd made it almost to the top of the tall staircase in a fraction of a second, an accomplishment that unsteadied him a little, but he didn't let his astonishment stop him. Suddenly, a blur of motion materialized to his right as someone stepped in front of him, far outstripping his own speed. A strong hand shoved against his chest, decreasing his forward momentum, and he stopped abruptly. Kuro was slightly above him on the top step, blocking his passage forward, keeping his hand firmly on the center of his chest. "Hey, what's your hurry?" Kuro asked, sounding worried, eyebrows furrowed in surprise and concern.

Akatsuki tried to step to the left, attempting to move around Kuro, but he blocked his path. Akatsuki tried the right, but was blocked again. Just like their standoff in his bedroom, this exchange got him nowhere. "Let me through," he said dangerously, practically growling. His hands balled into fists at his sides again, his furious glare hardening.

"Hey, did I say something wrong? Did I upset you or something?"

Akatsuki's breath was growling through his throat and his chest was heaving. A tiny part of his mind realized that in the last hour he'd become a complete basket case several times, stuck on a dangerously looping roller coaster of over exaggerated emotions, but the bigger part didn't care much right now. He was normally so calm and collected, but he didn't know how to control his new heightened emotions or responses, and rage burned through all his senses, obscuring anything else. "You just butt your nose into everything, don't you?!" he said angrily, his voice rising with every word. "You think you can just read me like an open book, that you just know everything about me _so well_ like you basically read my mind or something! You don't even know me, but it's like you're crawling inside me, picking at my brain… Knock it off… Get out of my head!" His voice cracked and he almost sobbed the last words as he collapsed to his knees on the step below Kuro, grabbing fistfuls of his silver hair as he fell. His tense body was trembling. What was going on with him? Why couldn't he get a grip on himself? These kind of fits just wasn't like him…

"Hey," Kuro said softly and soothingly as he knelt on his step in front of the bowed silver head. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder, gripping it in a reassuring way. Akatsuki flinched and shied away slightly from the touch, but Kuro ignored it and left his hand there. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to do that." He spoke quietly to try to calm the situation. "Vampires are very perceptive creatures… we can sense things that humans can't; physical and emotional responses that are much more subtle. But you're right, it is sort of like reading someone like a book, at least their emotional state, since I'm already so susceptible to it. I guess I don't even know I'm doing it sometimes." He felt like he was rambling, and the fists grasped in the silver hair before him didn't loosen. Knowing his special ability may help here, Kuro concentrated hard on surrounding them both where they knelt together in a quiet calm, sending waves of tranquility flooding into Akatsuki. He slowly but surely felt the rage in the other man's aura dwindle, and the white-knuckled hands gripping the silver locks finally uncoiled and fell dully to his sides. "I don't presume to know you or your situation…" Kuro continued soothingly. "And I sincerely apologize if I came off that way."

Akatsuki sighed deeply and finally raised his grey eyes to meet Kuro's consoling amber ones. All anger was gone from them and they were now filled with a dejected tiredness and a desperate longing for understanding. He was still trembling slightly, but his body had at least somewhat relaxed.

"You're doing that… that weird thing again… aren't you?" he choked, his voice hoarse from yelling.

"Uh… yes, sorry for that too…" Kuro muttered sheepishly. "It's the only way I know how to calm someone…"

"You know that means you're pretty much _are_ always going to be rummaging around in my head, right?" Akatsuki said somewhat bitterly, but still quietly. Kuro was keeping his anger levels suppressed, but he was too tired to feel much of anything anyway. His body felt like a thousand pounds of lead.

"I can't read your mind, Yata. I'm not a vampire with those abilities, remember? I can just tamper with emotions, and only when absolutely necessary."

Akatsuki scoffed. "'Tamper with'", he repeated in a mumble. "Great…"

"I assure you, I can't possibly know what you're really thinking," Kuro said. "Just my perceptions…"

"Uh huh…" Akatsuki added skeptically, turning to leave.

"Hey," Kuro said, grabbing the attention of Akatsuki's gaze again. "I really am sorry," he repeated. Akatsuki nodded slowly then his eyes flitted downward once more. Kuro watched him carefully for any reaction. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, and I won't pry into… sensitive topics… okay?" Akatsuki nodded again. With no other visible reaction, Kuro continued speaking, starting to feel like he was trailing on and on. "And I know we just met, but don't want to scare you off already. I really do want to help you, and I want this to work..."

Akatsuki blushed a little, and the inflection in the words gave the sense of an possible ulterior motive… Maybe he was just too messed up and was reading things the wrong way, but the look in Kuro's eyes wasn't altogether innocent. His heart started to pound faster in his chest again. What are his real reason for keeping him here? Akatsuki shook that thought off it quickly. No, he just wanted to help… _No way… we're both guys… quit thinking like that, it's weird._

Seeing the other man's blush, Kuro began to stammer, not wanting to embarrass him or come off the wrong way. "I–I mean this whole teacher-student dynamic! I just meant that… you need to be taught the basics at the very least… for your own protection, and that of those around you. And if you leave… well… I didn't do my job right, did I?"

Akatsuki breathed a sigh of relief. "Your job? You know you don't _have_ to do this. It's not your responsibility to 'get me up to speed'. You act like if you don't, our whole world will fall to ruin. You don't have to beat yourself up about it; I'll be _fine_." He was trying to be reassuring, but he probably wasn't doing a very good job.

"No you won't," Kuro insisted. "If you aren't properly trained to handle your body's enhancements and responses, you'll not only endanger yourself but countless others. I can't let that happen, as an upstanding and contributing member of vampire society. So yes, it is my responsibility." His eyes were burning deeply, smoldering with sincerity, and his face was serious now. "You need to learn to control yourself, for everyone's sake."

"I know…" Akatsuki said quietly, looking down, not able to meet Kuro's intense gaze anymore. It made him uneasy and embarrassed. "I just… I don't want to put you out. It's great that you're helping me. I really do appreciate it, even if I'm not acting like it. You're right before… I guess I've become a bit of a hothead…"

"No way," Kuro said sarcastically, a crooked half grin crossing his lips. Akatsuki finally smiled too and relaxed, breaking the tension that had been floating around in the air between them. Their eyes met again and they stared silently at each other for a long moment, when the crisp sound of a cleared throat echoed through the open room, breaking the silence. Akatsuki jumped; he hadn't sensed Kagori's presence. He'd been… distracted… lost somewhere deep, swimming in liquid amber…

"Masters, dinner is served in the dining room," Kagori said.

"Right, we're coming Kagori!" Kuro said, standing up quickly and extending a hand to Akatsuki. Hesitantly, Akatsuki took it, straightening up as well. The same electric spark, similar to the one that'd occurred in the bedroom when their hands had touched, now shot through their joined hands, sending a warm tingle up Akatsuki's forearm. He retracted his hand as soon as he was standing upright, trying his best not to blush deeper.

"Hey," he said quietly, embarrassed. "I'm sorry for… always losing my temper… it seems like I'm doing a really piss poor job at getting any kind of control down. It's just all really overwhelming."

"It's quite all right," Kuro said, smiling. "You're new at this; I know it can be hard. I'll give you a few freebies." He winked again.

Akatsuki, cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, turned and started back down the long staircase, Kuro following behind. A swirl of butterflies had erupted in his stomach when he had taken Kuro's hand, and the fluttering had not yet subsided. He closed his eyes, trying to settle himself, but Kuro's presence right behind him set his body on edge. Why did he feel this way? He felt such an odd nervousness around the noble, but not in the way he thought he should. At first, he thought these feelings of edginess were caused by the fact that Kuro was a powerful and cunning vampire who could kill him in an instant if he wanted to. This, in the beginning, may have been the cause for his unease, but surprisingly he wasn't even remotely frightened of Kuro now, although he knew he should be. The instinct to be fearful, distrusting and cautious fought fiercely with the unexplainable yet powerful desire to be in the other's presence. _Great_ , he thought. Like he didn't have enough to deal with right now…

Reaching the bottom of the stairs and reentering the dining room, the men were greeted by a delectable smell and an even more delicious sight. A large plate of golden brown fried chicken lay in the on the table between their two empty places, and two smaller dishes of a warm corn and pepper mixture, and a cold watermelon, radish and dill salad sat on either side of the chicken platter. Next to that lay a napkin covered basket, a corner of a fluffy golden muffin poking out from under the corner of the cloth napkin. Everything looked and smelled delicious.

Kagori, standing behind Kuro's chair, pulled it out and gestured for Kuro to sit. "Young Masters," he said, giving a little bow. Kuro's eyes had lit up like a child's on Christmas morning, and he almost skipped to his spot at the table, taking his seat quickly. He took his crisp white napkin and, with an unnecessarily large flourish, laid it across his lap. Akatsuki also took his seat, excited by the prospect of the delicious looking food. He hadn't realized just how hungry he really was until his stomach gave a gigantic, somewhat embarrassing rumble. He must have just been hungry when he'd felt those butterflies in his stomach a moment ago. _That had to have been it…_

Kagori served them each heaping plates of everything on the table, and inclined his head respectfully as he backed out of the room, carrying his tray. "Please enjoy, Masters," he said, and left the room, closing the double doors after him.

"He's the best cook in the world!" Kuro chimed, picking up a crispy chicken leg and biting into it, eyes rolling to the ceiling and shoulders slumping in apparent bliss.

Akatsuki also took a bite of his chicken thigh, and inwardly sighed with contentment at the delicious flavor. It was very well done; crispy yet juicy, seasoned perfectly. "It is pretty good," he agreed nonchalantly.

"Pretty good? _Pretty good?!"_ Kuro repeated, incredulously. "What, you think you could make better?"

"Probably," Akatsuki said, smirking. He was trying to annoy Kuro now and he was doing a pretty good job. Kuro's eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open comically in disbelief. Akatsuki laughed heartily at the absurdity of the childish reaction. It felt good; it'd been a long time since he truly laughed. "Calm down," he said. "Kagori is a great cook, I probably couldn't surpass him."

"Damn right," Kuro snorted, taking and biting into a corn muffin. "Oh my lord, these are so good!" he trilled, chewing happily. Akatsuki shook his head, still chuckling, as he continued to eat.

xXxXxXxXx

Authors Note: I love that we are finally getting into developing their kind of weird, awkward relationship :)

If you're still with me on this journey, review for me! I want to know how I'm doing :) Follow/Fav!


	5. Chapter 5: Akatsuki

**Chapter 5:**

Akatsuki sighed contentedly and slumped back in his chair, comfortably well fed. He had wondered how eating would work; if the vampire myth that they only lived on blood was true, but he was glad to see that his body still seemed to want want and enjoy food, and it had all tasted exquisite on his new sensitive palate. He'd washed it down with quite a bit of wine as well; before becoming a vampire, this much alcohol would have set him on the path to being considerably drunk, but now he just felt warm and a little sleepy. The two men had kept up a stream of conversation during the dinner, which had been dominated by Kuro firing off questions about Akatsuki and his life. He'd asked about his childhood, his family, his preferences with movies, television and music, and about his work at the academy. Akatsuki has answered the questions honestly, but had skirted around the subject of his brother's death when speaking of his family, as did also Kuro, much to Akatsuki's relief. He didn't think he was ready to talk about it all yet, even though it always seemed to play in his the back of his mind like a video on repeat.

...oOoOoOoOo...

Akatsuki had been born and raised right here in the same city. His father was a consultant for a multi-million dollar advertising and marketing firm, and his mother was a grade-school teacher. They lived in a comfortable three bedroom home in the suburbs. He'd lived a normal but somewhat sheltered and privileged life, and he'd had grown up as normal as any other child, going to the local public school he could walk to from his home. He had been a popular and happy child; always cheery and polite with everyone he met. His parents absolutely adored their baby boy, showering him with affection and spoiling him as an only child. When, as a gift on his 8th Christmas, his parents announced he'd be receiving a little brother, he was overjoyed; he'd always wanted a brother! His parents talked about moving to a larger home in their neighborhood when his little baby brother was born.

Shortly after Ishino's birth, everything changed. A presumably healthy baby boy at first, Ishino soon developed major health issues. He'd been diagnosed with deteriorating muscular dystrophy, painful fibromyalgia and a severe heart defect all by the age of just 3 and a half. Heart surgeries, muscle biopsies, blood transfusions and transplants occurred all within his early years of life. His heart and muscles were simply too weak to support a normal child's activity, and he would stumble and fall when he would try to walk, so by the time he was 6, he was forced to use a wheelchair most of the time. His muscles continued to weaken as he became completely wheelchair bound by the age of 8, and his heart condition had put him in the hospital, in many cases near death, 11 times in those 8 years. The doctor's found it a medical miracle that he'd even lived past the age of 4.

Akatsuki had always taken his brother's medical issues very hard, being a very perceptive child and old enough to understand most of what was going on. He'd been by his brother's side through every operation, every transfusion, and every emergency rush to the hospital. Akatsuki had been a perfect blood and bone marrow match to Ishino, and had assisted in all medical procedures by giving blood transfusions whenever needed. At home, he was his brother's caretaker and emotional support system, as his parents both worked full time jobs to continue to support the family and keep up with all of Ishino's constant and extremely expensive hospital bills. It was amazing how quickly salaries go when you have a sick child… Despite their mounting medical debt, their mother had been about to quit her job as a teacher when Ishino had been diagnosed, but 12 year old Akatsuki had vehemently assured her that he had things under control when they were gone. They even allowed Akatsuki to quit going to public school, homeschooling himself online instead so he could take care of things at home. Through the passing years, as Ishnio became more and more frail and hope of any kind of recovery ran increasingly thin, Akatsuki fed, bathed, clothed, and otherwise cared for him when his parents were gone. He would rock him in his arms in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep, and he would comfort him when he cried openly from the pain that pinpointed every muscle. He loved his brother very much, despite the difficulties his perfect little life had taken on since Ishino got sick.

More frustratingly, their parents seemed to fall more and more out of the picture. Their father's hours at the office grew longer with each passing month, and he traveled so much for his work that he was hardly ever home. When he was, he would sit in front of the television with beer in hand, quick to anger at any slight noise that disturbed his stupor. He'd drink beer after beer every night, and allow himself to pass out in a drunken coma in the living room armchair. His mother, even when she was home, had slipped into a deep and unrelenting depression that left her lethargic and nearly unresponsive. Barely going through the motions of life, having her with you in a room was hardly better than having a life-sized doll. It angered Akatsuki how much his parents had given up, and how little they cared that their two sons who desperately needed them. Why didn't they see how much their choices to abandon them, in every way other than financially, had cost the family? Akatsuki hadn't been able to understand; it was such a drastic change from his own joyous early childhood that his heart had ached for his brother, wishing the unhealthy yet very happy child had gotten the same chance at a normal childhood like he'd had. These were not the parents he'd had, not even close. One would have thought the difficult adversity his family were forced to face would have brought a family like theirs closer together, but instead it had ripped his once loving and nurturing parents away from him.

At age 17, exceptionally mature for his age due to his abrupt need to become a pseudo parent to Ishino, Akatsuki made the choice to take 9 year old Ishino and leave their family home, renting a small apartment with the tiny bit savings he had from working a part time job at a grocery store through high school. Their mother – momentarily surfacing from her nearly lifeless state – objected at first, but had eventually and surprisingly allowed them to leave, understanding that Akatsuki needed to get out that stifling home environment, and she knew that the best place for Ishino to be was with his older brother, the one he loved more than anyone. They'd been there ever since, Akatsuki caring for Ishino the last 3 years. Their parents visited from time to time, but the reunions had been awkward and emotionally strained, so they'd become increasingly few and far between. They sent money too for a while, for living expenses and some of the medical bills, but even these dwindled until they no longer came. They were completely on their own, and frankly, Akatsuki liked it that way.

For the most part, Ishino could care for himself now during the day, but Akatsuki continued to take care of him when he couldn't, working as much as he could at his job at the grocery store right around the corner from their apartment, making sure he was only ever a quick phone call away. He even began to study an online schooling Criminal Justice program at the local community college. He strived to one day join the policy academy, to become a police officer. He was exhausted at the end of each day and he often laid on his bed simply staring at the ceiling, wondering how his perfect, sheltered little life had changed so much in an instant. More nights than he could count, he'd lay holding Ishino's shaking body until his brother finally drifted into a painful, restless sleep. Regardless of the hardships, and although he was always stressed and tired, he loved his brother very much, and never let his weariness show. Despite everything, Ishino remained overly positive and visibly happy, the very essence and bright light of Akatsuki's life. Ishino has been the heart and soul of his life for 8 years, and he wouldn't change a single thing about their life together. Away from the desecrating aura surrounding his parents and that depressing place he had once called a happy home, Ishino actually seemed to be getting better. Akatsuki helped him stretch and train his muscles daily, using the lightest weights he could find to help strengthen the muscles in Ishino's frail arms and legs. Ishino still couldn't walk on his own, but he could now wheel his wheelchair with his own arms until he got too tired to continue, and this was showing progress. They hadn't made an emergency run to the hospital in almost a year and a half, and without any abnormal medical bills to pay, Akatsuki had even started to set a little money aside. Their life together, although far different from the typical brother relationship, had finally started to fall into some sort of normalcy, and Akatsuki has started to become hopeful for Ishino's future. The ray of hope, although still dim, seemed to grow brighter inside him every day.

One night however, about a month ago, everything had gone horribly wrong.

Ishino had been cooped up far too long in the tiny apartment, and he'd been begging Akatsuki to take him out for a walk for the last three nights in a row. Akatsuki, who'd taken an extra shift today and had far too much homework to get through, had promised they'd try to go out when he finished this nasty paper. Ishino sighed and slumped back against the couch cushions, changing the channel on the TV to his favorite program. The program couldn't hold his attention for long however, as he became restless and started clicking and unclicking the back cover of the TV remote, a loud sound that permeated the music Akatsuki was listening to through his headphones. He only wore them so he could concentrate, but they weren't working tonight. From time to time, Ishino would inhale deeply and exhale in a deliberately loud sigh, trying his best to express his boredom. He'd been at this for the last hour, and Akatsuki had had enough, finally removing this headphones and turning in his desk chair.

"Fine!" he snapped in pretend exasperation, never actually angry with Ishino. "If we go for a quick walk around the park, will you please let me get my paper done when we get back?"

Ishino's face lit up. "Yes, of course! Oh yay, thank you Aki! Thank you, thank you!" he trilled. He practically bounced up and down in excitement on the couch as he waited for Akatsuki to save where he was in the word document. He closed his laptop on the desk and stood up, stretched, and come over to help Ishino into his wheelchair. Lifting him from under his arms, he hoisted his brother's small body off the couch and into his chair, squatting down to unlock the wheels. He straightened up, and Ishino beamed up at him with a look of such utter happiness and unconditional love that Akatsuki suddenly didn't care if completely bombed and got an F on this paper. He just wanted to make his brother happy. That was all that mattered.

Opening the door and wheeling his brother out of the apartment, they turned and started walking down the long hallway toward the elevator. "Let's go fast, please Aki?" Ishino pleaded, tilting his head back to lean on the back of his wheelchair, staring up at his older brother with his sad puppy dog eyes and his bottom lip hanging out in a plea. Akatsuki sighed but smiled down at him – this was a regular occurrence when they went out. It was okay though, since Ishino needed any excuse for some fun. Any opportunity Akatsuki had to make Ishino shine that brilliant smile, he'd take.

"Okay, hold on!" he said as he broke into a run, hurtling down the long hallway. He didn't flat out sprint, but he ran fast enough to allow the wind to whip through Ishino's silvery blonde hair. His little hands gripped the arms of the chair for dear life, as he shrieked in excitement. He trusted his brother to take good care of him and one time he'd even taken his hands off the armrests and lifted them out on either side of him, so he felt as though he was flying. He didn't have the chance to do that this time however, because two doors down the hall from them, old Mrs. Tomoya was leaving her apartment, locking the door behind her. Akatsuki skidded to a halt, digging his heels into the worn carpet to avoid slamming into her. He pulled back on the wheelchair and it stopped just a foot away from the shocked looking woman.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Tomoya!" he said his breath coming in a surprised little huff. "Are you alright?"

"Oh I'm fine, boys, just fine," she said, beaming at down Ishino. "Just be a little more careful next time, or you're going to plow this little old bag of bones right over!" She rumpled his hair playfully.

"We'll be more careful," Ishino said with a brilliant smile as Akatsuki pushed the wheelchair safety around Mrs. Tomoya.

"Sorry again, ma'am," Akatsuki said as he gave her a small bow.

"Such polite young boys," Mrs. Tomoya said quietly to herself as they continued down the hallway, keeping it to a walk this time.

When they reached the elevator, Akatsuki pushed Ishino close enough that he could reach out and push the Down button on the wall, and they heard the far away jangling of the elevator moving. They lived on the 11th floor of a tall high-rise apartment building in the center of town, close to all the popular shops, restaurants and parks. It wasn't exactly a cheap place to live, and Akatsuki spent a fair amount of his paychecks on rent every month, but it was a price he had to pay to live in a building with an elevator and wheelchair access for Ishino. It was close to his work too, which was a plus. The elevator clattered loudly to a halt at their floor and the doors slowly glided open. Akatsuki wheeled Ishino in and turned the chair around. He then held the elevator door open with an outstretched arm for Mrs. Tomoya, who was bustling down the hallway behind them.

"I'm coming boys, I'm coming," she huffed, hobbling in the elevator behind them. Akatsuki let the door clang shut and pressed the button for the ground floor. The elevator shuddered as it started to move, sending them downward.

"Going out for a little stroll?" Mrs. Tomoya asked kindly. "Beautiful night for it!"

"Yep! Aki is taking me to the park, then out for ice cream!" Ishino said happily.

"Hey, I never said ice cream," Akatsuki said quietly in a slightly scolding tone.

"Oh, let him have some. They're only young for so long," Mrs. Tomoya said to Akatsuki, digging in her purse. She extracted 1200 yen and handed it to him. "Here, take this. Ice cream is on me!"

Akatsuki, shocked at her kind gesture, frowned slightly with embarrassment and shook his head. "Oh no ma'am, thank you very much but I couldn't take your money."

"Please, take it. I can't take it with me when I leave this life, and if I can make a child as sweet as this happy, it's worth it," she said, smiling down at Ishino again, who beamed up at her again.

"Well, thank you very much," Akatsuki said, feeling rather uncomfortable, taking the money and putting it in his pocket. He didn't like taking handouts, but he also didn't want to seem rude or ungrateful.

When they reached the ground floor, the doors clanged opened and Akatsuki pushed Ishino forward out of the elevator and toward the door. Mrs. Tomoya walked alongside them, and when the exited the front door, Akatsuki took the chair down the ramp to turn left and Mrs. Tomoya turn right.

"Thanks again!" Ishino called over his shoulder.

"Any time, boys!" the old woman called. "Do have fun, now!"

"I like her," Ishino said when they were out of earshot.

Akatsuki smiled. "So do I," he replied. "So, where to first? The park, or ice cream?"

"Ice cream!" Ishino cheered. "Then we can walk through the park and eat it."

"Good idea," Akatsuki said, turning left at the next block toward the ice cream shop.

Ishino bent his neck back to look up at him again. "Can I push myself?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, sure," Akatsuki said, a little taken aback. "I just thought that you might be tired."

"I am, but I like to do it myself. I'll never get stronger if I don't." Akatsuki nodded, letting go of the handles and Ishino took hold of the wheels, pushing them forward with his hands. He rolled several feet before he had to use his hands to propel himself forward again.

They traveled for four more blocks before they reached the ice cream shop. A bell tinkled overhead as they entered, and the smiling woman behind the counter greeted them. Ishino ordered a fancy hot fudge sundae with sprinkles, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top, while Akatsuki ordered a chocolate malt. It would be easier to hold than a cone if he had to push Ishino's wheelchair again.

"You're so boring!" Ishino teased, then laughed.

Akatsuki shrugged and chuckled as he handed the woman the money Mrs. Tomoya had given them. He hadn't felt quite right about taking it, but she'd insisted. Did he look like a guy who needed a handout? Maybe it was common knowledge around the building that the silver haired guy and his frail kid brother in the wheelchair were hard up for cash. He certainly hoped not; he didn't want that kind of reputation. Once, in the first few months of renting their current apartment, he'd been very low on money, and hadn't been able to scrape together enough to pay the full rent that month. He'd just paid an extremely past due bill for Ishino's last hospital stay, and he'd had nothing left over; he'd had to dip into his quickly depleted savings just to pay the bill. At this time, their parents still paid the majority of Ishino's medical bills, but for some reason, this one seemed to slip through the cracks. Desperate, Akatsuki had had no other choice but to go to the landlord's office and beg for an extension on rent, which the landlord had flatly refused. He'd said that he didn't rent to late payers and that if they couldn't pay on time, that he didn't want 'their kind' here. Mrs. Tomoya, who'd been waiting patiently outside the office to drop off her own rent check for the month, overheard some of the conversation between Akatsuki and the landlord. When he'd left, trying to hold back frustrated tears, she'd discreetly paid the landlord Akatsuki's rent for him. When he found out what she'd done, he'd been extremely grateful for her generosity and also absolutely devastatingly humiliated, and had showed up at her front door with a plate of cookies and a million "thank yous' and 'you shouldn't have done that' and 'I appreciate it so much'. She'd brushed it off, saying that she wasn't going to let such an adorable kid like Ishino get thrown out on the street. Ever since that day, they'd maintained an extra friendly neighborly relationship, Mrs. Tomoya looking out for them, especially Ishino, in a grandmotherly sort of way.

He paid for their ice cream and they left, turning toward the large park across the street. Shafts of moonlight and just a peek of bright stars shone down through heavy looking dark clouds. He hoped it wasn't going to rain on their walk. Crossing the street, they entered the park gate and worked their way slowly down the park's cobblestone path. Balancing his ice cream on his lap, Ishino still pushed himself, insisting that he wasn't tired. Akatsuki, resigning himself to let Ishino have what he wanted, didn't push the point. At least Ishino might sleep well tonight if he was worn out.

They'd been meandering through the park for quite a while, chatting happily, when Ishino stopped abruptly, staring through the gap in the trees at a point across the street. Akatsuki, almost walking right past him where he'd halted, stopped too. "What is it?" he asked.

"I heard something," Ishino said, straining his ears. "It's coming from in there." He pointed into a dark alley. The streetlights were positioned so that very little of their light shone into the space between two buildings.

"Probably nothing. Come on, we have to get back home," Akatsuki said, but Ishino didn't move.

"It sounds like… like a dog or something. Almost like it's whimpering." Ishino's sense of hearing had always been very keen. Maybe it had evolved over time due to his other bodily defects.

"I'm sure it's fine," Akatsuki, worried by the look on Ishino's face. He was a sensitive soul who couldn't stand the thought of another creature suffering. Determined to investigate, Ishino moved from the path into the grass, and having to push himself harder through it, forced himself forward to the edge of the street, pushing his chair up and over the curb and out into the deserted street. "Hey wait!" Akatsuki called, running after him, astonished by the boy's strength in the moment. Crossing the street, Ishino wheeled himself right up to the mouth of the alley, peering inside. Not being able to see inside, he cautiously moved forward. Akatsuki had caught up then, and grabbed the handle of the chair sharply, pulling him back. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"I just want to see," Ishino said, turning in his chair to glare at Akatsuki. "Let me go, I want to see what's back there."

"No way, it's way too dark in there, it's not safe. Let's get home Ishino; it looks like it's going to rain." Akatsuki said, attempting to pull Ishino from the alley and back to the park, but he'd realized that his brother had used his feet to apply the parking brakes on the front wheels of the chair, keeping him firmly in place. "Knock it off, Ishino" he said, scowling.

"I'm not leaving until I investigate," he said, glaring at his brother. "What if it is a animal or something, and it's hurt? We could help it!" His glare melted into a look of pure sadness and pleading. Ishino had an extremely kind and generous heart, and his concern for a potentially injured animal was touching.

Akatsuki sighed exasperatedly before finally letting go of the handle. "Fine, then. Let's check it out." He peered up at the darkening sky. "But quickly, or it'll pour rain down on us, and I didn't bring an umbrella." He pulled his keys from his pocket and pressed the button on the small LED flashlight connected to the keychain. Before the small beam of light could land on anything, the memory ended abruptly, slashing to sudden and complete blackness.

That was all he remembered. There was a huge gap in his memory from that moment until his woke up. The next thing he knew, he was leaning up against one of the brick walls in the alleyway, his entire body writhing in pain and covered in his own blood. His neck was bloodied and ripped open on one side; clutching at it desperately, he curled into the fetal position, praying for the pain burning through his entire body to cease. When it finally subsided enough for him to move, he'd crawled painfully toward the dark mass on the ground that he knew was Ishino, who was sprawled out at an awkward angle with his chair lying on its side next to him. The figure's throat had been brutally torn wide open, worse than his own, and copious amounts of blood was splattered up into his childish face and in his silver blonde hair and flowed down his blue shirt, pooling beneath him. The grey eyes were spread wide, blank and staring but unseeing, and his chest lay unmoving, all signs of the happy and kind boy gone, leaving behind only emptiness.

Despite the intense pain puncturing inside his entire body and the intense shock gripping him, Akatsuki had scooped Ishino up into his trembling arms and rushed him to the hospital, even though he knew in his heart it was far too late. The doctor and nurses on call that evening examined him, and despite his prayers, his absolute worst fear was confirmed; Ishino was officially pronounced dead at 9:42 PM on August 9th. When the doctor asked what had happened, Akatsuki, trying desperately to keep it together, told him a dog had attacked them on their walk. The doctor, although somewhat skeptical, had accepted this story and didn't ask more about it. His parents, both somehow snapped out of their usual zombie-like trances, rushed to the hospital when they were notified. His mother sobbed hysterically, and his father just stood straight as a board, face rigid, staring at the opposite wall. When Akatsuki approached them in the waiting room, his father sprang suddenly to life, rushing at him violently and pinned him hard to the wall by his upper arms.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He bellowed, screaming in Akatsuki's face. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

"W-what the hell?!" Akatsuki stammered, struggling against his father's harsh grip.

"YOU DID THIS! YOU LET THIS HAPPEN! YOU LET HIM DIE! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" his eyes were blazing with red-hot fury as he shook his son fiercely, flecks of spit flying from his lips as he screamed like a maniac. At this point, two hospital orderlies rushed forward and grabbed him, pulling him away from Akatsuki. The men held his father tightly as he flailed and kicked, fighting to attack again, still screaming how this was Akatsuki's fault and that he should have never allowed him to take Ishino away. Tears stinging in his eyes, Akatsuki ran down the hallway, leaving the last remnant of his shattered life behind him.

Akatsuki had dragged himself through the next few days in a haze of pain, with a stifling numbness that was the only thing keeping him in one piece, but not even that could make the wake and funeral anything less than pure torture. He barely choked back his grief, trying his hardest to keep some small thread of composure as he stood in the processional line. He ignored his parents at both events, and besides his father shooting him furious glances, they ignored him as well. In his grief-induced cloud, he thought he'd heard his father mutter 'good riddance' as they'd left the funeral home. There was no way he possibly could have heard a quiet whisper from that distance, but he was sure he had, and it sparked his anger. That was the last time he'd seen them, which was just fine with him.

When everyone had left, as he stood leaning over Ishino's closed casket, he finally allowed his attempted fortitude break and he wept uncontrollably, tears streaming hot and heavy down his distraught face. He'd been completely and utterly broken. All else in life forgotten, he'd fallen to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably against the wood, desperately wishing he could see his happy little face one last time. He'd knelt there on the floor, all pride or dignity negate, gently caressed the cold wooden box that would take his brother away from him, forever beyond his reach.

Additional to the emotional upheaval he was trying and failing to deal with, there was the extreme physical pain he was undergoing; there was a grippingly tight, burning sensation that flamed through his chest and throat since that fateful night. He also felt very out of step, and not just because Ishino was gone from his life. He felt like a stranger in his own skin, like he was borrowing someone else's body that he couldn't control. He was constantly thirsty, and water didn't help to sate the constant smoldering in his throat. His head pounded for days on end and he couldn't think straight past the pain. Maybe the fact that his mind wasn't working properly was a blessing in disguise. His whole world had crumbled around him in the matter of minutes, and he didn't know how to cope with that. The physical pain he felt was better than feeling the crushing weight of his loss. He continued to barely carry on through life like this for the next month; numb to it all, his body scorching him from the inside… forcing himself day by day, second by second, to exist… alone. His reason for working so hard, the reason he pushed himself to the limit every day, his reason for even being… gone.

...oOoOoOoOo...

A month had passed since the night it'd happened, and the jagged wounds ripped in Akatsuki's heart were still incredible raw, with only the tiniest signs of any healing. Now that the pain of his transformation was no longer a predominate factor, his mind was more or less clear. Despite having to wrap his head around all these changes Kuro was trying to explain, the foggy numbness in his brain had dissipated and he was forced to relive these moments over and over, like the worst kind of recurring nightmare. The fortunate thing about his change from human to vampire was that the memories he had of that night, extremely limited though they were due to the large gaps of blackness, were indistinct and blurry around the edges as though it was a video shot using a clouded lens. Every time he tried to think about anything from his past – his mind unconsciously tried to skirt around the devastating bits – he noticed that all of his memories were fuzzy and clouded. In stark contrast, any images in his mind from the past few hours with Kuro were sharp as day, as though the blurriness had been replaced with a high definition camera. For this, at least, he was grateful.

Akatsuki hadn't told Kuro anything about his brother's illness or his painful past in that regard. He'd kept the conversation light and simple, answering the questions with mostly generalities. Kuro knew there was more to the story of Akatsuki's life, but he never pushed. He could see first the panic, then the deadened and numb expression in the other's grey eyes every time he had to skirt around a question he didn't want to answer, though he determinedly kept his face impassive.

Despite the newborn's obvious reluctance to speak openly, Kuro could nonetheless tell quite a lot about this man from their simple conversations. For starters, this tough exterior that he portrayed was not really who he was. Underneath the hard facade of indifference was what Kuro had gathered was a sweet and sensitive soul that had been hurt beyond measure, and therefore had locked itself away for safety, guarded by high nearly impenetrable walls. Kuro could only guess that it took a lot of effort to keep these walls in place. Despite the ex-human's forced exterior, he seemed genuinely trusting and caring, albeit trying desperately to not show that part of himself. He probably thought it'd seem too vulnerable for him to do so, Kuro surmised. So he wouldn't push; he'd let the man open up in his own time, if he chose to.

Kuro had ceased his barrage of questions as he sipped his wine thoughtfully. He downed the last gulp, tipping the glass high, and licked his lips with appreciation. "So," he said, placing the empty glass down on the table in front of him. "More wine? Or should we retire to the living room? We can have coffee and dessert brought out there, if you wish."

Akatsuki, lost in his own thoughts, snapped out of them with a little shake of his head. He groaned softly, running his hands over his very full stomach. "How can you possibly be thinking about dessert? Aren't you bursting?"

"I'm used to Kagori's cooking, and how good it is," Kuro said, grinning. "You ate far too much."

"Well, it was delicious. And it's been a long time since I ate anything decent," Akatsuki admitted. He'd eaten very little –only enough to survive, really – in the last month. Food just didn't taste the same when your body doesn't really have the drive to even exist at all anymore. Nothing he ate or drank sated the burning hunger inside him anyway, so why bother?

"Your body was probably destroying itself from the inside during your transformation, no wonder you ate like a cow just now," Kuro chuckled.

"Wh– what?" Akatsuki choked, taken aback at the pointed statement.

"Well, and I'm sorry for pointing this out, but I noticed the date on your brother's tombstone when we were there. It was just around a month ago, correct?"

Akatsuki nodded slowly, looking darkly down at his lap. His heart started to race in panic… Why was Kuro bringing this up again? Hadn't they just talked about how he didn't want to think about it?

"Then if I've got the timeline right, you were in mid-transformation that entire time, right?"

"Probably," Akatsuki mumbled quietly. God… I really thought we weren't going to talk about this…

"Well, a transforming vampire's body needs blood right away to stabilize. Of course, as I previously stated, I don't know much about this first hand… but I've read that, without blood from another source, your new vampire body will start to use your human blood, effectively consuming your body from the inside. Once all human blood in the system has been used up, the vampire has to get it from somewhere else, or risk total starvation. Not sure how long that takes, but you didn't drink any blood, so your body was deteriorating rapidly. I'm sure you felt it; body weak, and so thirsty and hungry it was unbearable, but never being able to make it go away, not matter what you ate or drank?"

Akatsuki thought back; he had felt that way… thirstier than he'd ever been in his life and no matter what he did, it never went away. It'd been so painful… He assumed it had been a result of the trauma he'd experienced or something, but now it made sense, even if it didn't. He'd spent a lot of time researching, as best as he could, his symptoms; increased but insatiable hunger and thirst, a constant dry aching throat, intense stomach and chest pains, dizziness, fatigue and muscle weakness. But some of the symptoms were harder to explain by modern medicine, like how the dizziness, the uncontrollable thirst, and ache in his throat, teeth and jaw had increased whenever we went out in public… or how, while the rest of him felt like it'd stopped working properly, his sense of sight, smell and hearing were getting progressively better over time. He just chalked up his different physical state to 'being stressed out', and not taking care of himself. No matter how bad it got, he couldn't bear going back to that hospital; it held too many memories. He completely disregarded all the research he found online about those weirder symptoms he was experiencing… they all eventually led him to websites about monster folklore, urban legends and movie trailers about vampires, werewolves and other beastlike creatures. That's why he'd been so freaked out. Nothing that was happening to him "made sense", but at least now he somewhat understood. He nodded again.

"Newborn vampires need much more blood, and more often, than anyone else. I'm really surprised you even lasted as long as you did. The newborn transformation completes for real the first time a vampire feeds. Your body should have completely shut down from the lack of nutrition," Kuro said thoughtfully. "You must be exceptionally strong willed."

Or stupid…. Akatsuki thought as he grimaced, still staring down at his hands in his lap, which had coiled into fists. He didn't feel strong at all. On the contrary, he felt worthless and pathetic… he hadn't been able to control his flaming body or raging emotions at all for an entire month. Knowing why it had happened to him didn't make it any easier of a pill to swallow, and it didn't take away the suffering he'd experienced. He felt like he'd been weak, and although he was better now, his struggle seemed somewhat pointless…

Kuro watched him, taking in his tight jaw, furrowed brow, and balled fists. He regretted bringing up the subject, and now he had to clean up the damage. "It's okay, you know. I know it's all really hard to take in… and it must have been so hard to go through this by yourself, especially during your time of grief, not understanding what was happening to you... But I'm here for you now. I'm going to walk you through this, every step… I'm going to keep you healthy and sane, I promise. Do you trust me?"

Akatsuki, his throat tightening, raised his gaze to Kuro's. The golden topaz eyes he met blazed with sincerity again. The statement of 'trust' was one that Kuro had uttered quite often in the short period they'd known each other. He wasn't sure if he could trust Kuro, but the brunette had proven so far to be a kind and generous, albeit somewhat presumptuous and irritating vamp–… person. But he was actually thoughtful underneath it all, as he was extending his home to Akatsuki, and he didn't even have to. He could have easily left him in that cemetery to die, that would seem like the vampire-ish thing to do. It could all be an act of course, but the little voice in the back of Akatsuki's mind that was usually abnormally cynical was telling him it wasn't. Only time would tell, he supposed. Being here with Kuro had to be better than going back to that apartment alone, trapped by nothing but his crippling memories. It had to be… He'd take his chances in this situation, he decided.

"I…. yeah I trust you," he mumbled, barely audible. He wasn't sure if he truly meant it yet, but he had to try.

"Glad to hear it," Kuro smiled, pushing his chair back and standing. "To the sitting room, then?" He turned and, opening the doors to the foyer, left the room.

"Sure…" Akatsuki said, also standing, and followed Kuro from the room. As he crossed the foyer however, fatigue gripped his mind's senses. His body wasn't exactly tired, but he'd been so overwhelmed with the onslaught of emotional stimuli and information that he'd never felt so exhausted in his life. "Actually, on second thought…" he called to Kuro. "I'm really tired. That meal must be making me comatose or something… If we're starting training tomorrow bright and early, I'd like to get some rest, if that's okay."

Kuro frowned a little. "Well, we're not starting 'bright and early'. Vampires usually sleep during the day, which makes the nighttime our daytime. For instance, I normally sleep from sunup to sundown, or somewhere in that realm. But today was a little different. I've been up since before sundown yesterday, when I found you at the cemetery."

"So you've been up for over 24 hours? Why?" Akatsuki asked, surprised.

Kuro smiled. "Well, I was at your bedside," he said, as if Akatsuki should have known exactly why he'd been awake. "I couldn't relax while you were lying there unconscious, now could I?"

"You were up with me while I was out?" Akatsuki asked incredulously.

"Of course. I didn't want you to wake up alone. Nice greeting it would be to wake up in a strange place, alone, thirsty and confused," Kuro said quietly.

Akatsuki was floored. This guy had sacrificed his sleep to keep him company while he was passed out, and was now continuing to try to keep him fed, entertained, and informed, even while obviously exhausted. Akatsuki hadn't paid enough attention before, but as he scrutinized the other more carefully, he could now see even though he tried to hide it with a smile, Kuro's face looked tired with light purple circles that had blossomed under his amber eyes. And now Akatsuki was the one complaining about being tired. What a scab he felt like… "Then why don't we both get some rest, so we can start fresh tomorrow?" he asked. "I'll let you get back into your normal sleep schedule, and we'll meet at… say…7?"

"Well remember, it'll be your sleep schedule now too," Kuro reminded him.

"Any particular reason vampires sleep at night? Is it anything like the myths?" Akatsuki asked.

"Well, the sun isn't exactly our best friend..." Kuro said thoughtfully.

Akatsuki scoffed. "What's wrong with the sun? Will we burst into flames or something?" he teased.

Kuro suddenly looked serious. "Don't joke. You're lucky that we don't," he scolded. "No, we don't 'burst into flames', but the sun is irritating to our skin and eyes, and can give us horrible sunburns if we're out for too long, and can damage our eyes. When I was a child, my uncle actually went temporarily blind from staring at the sun for too long, before his eyes healed of course. He won the bet with my cousin though." His scowl turned into a smirk and he chuckled. "We can go outside, but we must be cautious. Comes with the beautiful pale porcelain skin, you know." He winked, running the back of one finger across his cheek, being playfully dramatic.

Akatsuki's brow furrowed slightly in thought. His whole life had to change now, didn't it…? "Guess like I'll have to request the night shift if I ever become a cop…" he said with a little sigh.

"Indeed," Kuro agreed. "You'll have to convert to a nocturnal schedule, just like the rest of us." He noticed the other's dejected expression. "Oh, don't feel so bad. Cheer up, don't most crimes happen at night anyway?"

"I suppose," Akatsuki said. He hadn't thought of that. It seemed like a decent alternative. Sleep during the day, patrol at night… didn't seem so bad. Lots of officers did it. But this whole sunlight thing had him curious. "What about other stereotypical vampire myths… like for instance… every time there is blood around, my heartbeat skyrockets out of control. I thought vampires were dead… how can I have a heartbeat?"

"Another myth…" Kuro said quietly. "You're simply a vampire, that doesn't mean you died and came back one like many legends portray. The pureblood's venom changed your genetic makeup. No death involved."

"Well that's reassuring…" Akatsuki muttered, but his curiosity didn't ebb and he continued. "But what about some of the other stuff? Like... ice cold skin, and never sleeping... Do we sleep? And don't tell me we turn into bats or something, or–"

"Again, all myths," Kuro interrupted with a little chuckle. "I know this may be hard to believe, but we are more or less human with special supernatural abilities who happen to drink blood. Think of it that way if that makes it easier for you."

"And what about how we can be killed? Stakes through the heart and all that?"

"How about we get into 'all that' another time…" Kuro said with a weary little grimace.

"Uh, yeah sure, sorry," Akatsuki said, noticing the dismissal and respecting it.

"It's alright, we just have quite a bit to go through. We'll meet back here at 7 o'clock sharp then?"

Akatsuki nodded, turning to walk up the stairs. When he realized Kuro wasn't following him, he turned to look over his shoulder. "You coming?"

"In a moment… I have some business to attend to," Kuro replied.

"Alright, well… goodnight," Akatsuki said. He wondered what 'business' Kuro needed to do, and if it had anything to do with him. He then realized he was being paranoid and Kuro's business was none of his.

"Sleep well, Yata," Kuro said, turning away.

"Hey," Akatsuki said. Kuro turned back to look at him. "Call me Akatsuki, okay?"

"I thought you said I didn't know you. How can I call you by your first name?" Kuro said, smirking a little.

"…It's whatever," Akatsuki muttered, his cheeks coloring. He averted his eyes downward, a little embarrassed. He didn't like being referred to so formally, and if he stuck around here for a while, he might as well let Kuro call him by a name he liked.

Kuro smiled to himself as an unexpected warmth spread through him at the thought of being permitted to call him by his first name. "Well then, goodnight Akatsuki." He waited for Akatsuki to climb the stairs and continue down the hall, watching him as he went, before he reentered the dining room, pulling the French doors closed behind him with a soft click.

...xXxXxXxXxXx...

Author's Note: I love that we are getting into Akatsuki's backstory, learning a little bit about Ishino... Review/Fav/Follow if you like it so far... Update coming soon!


	6. Chapter 6: The Dream

**Chapter 6:**

In his bedroom, Akatsuki crossed to the four-poster bed, turning to lean his back against the nearest pillar.  This had been the most draining day of his life.  He sighed deeply, trying to keep his legs from giving out underneath him.  They were shaking, at first from what he thought was exhaustion, but as he flexed his muscles, he realized it was power and adrenaline.  His brain had been so preoccupied with the information being thrown at it that he hadn’t had much time to really truly stop and notice the raw energy surging through him.  He moved from the pillar to sink onto the edge of the bed.  Even his schooling at the academy hadn’t compared to today; his brain felt like complete mush, and yet still alive and agile.  But as depleted as his mind felt, his entire body was tingling with every nerve ending on fire.  He’d had a hard time controlling the unknown but intense sensations coursing through him all evening.  Every emotion heightened almost to extremes… every sound was louder and every smell was more potent.  And every touch… even the smallest brush of his fingertips against a surface, was a new and undiscovered texture and sensation.  No matter how hard he tried to relax himself, his body was more alive than it had ever been.  He’d felt horrible before the blood he’d consumed; bone tired, extremely weak and devastatingly thirsty, his body desperately begging for something he didn’t know he needed.  But now, after the blood, he felt… powerful.  Unbelievably strong…  Like he was ready for anything.  His mind may be weary and overwhelmed, but physically he felt like he could sprint for miles.  He had no desire to sleep – he was far too wired – regardless of what he’d told Kuro about needing rest.  His mind just needed a break, a chance to escape and sort everything out.  

Standing once more, he crossed the room and entered the bathroom.  Staring at himself momentarily in the large mirror, he turned on the water, bent over the sink and splashed cold water on his face, hoping it would clear his head.  After toweling his face dry, he pulled open the top drawer of the vanity and realized that it held all of his toiletries; his toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, cologne, razor, shaving cream, and a few other odds and ends that had been in his bathroom cabinet at home.  He brushed his teeth and put his toothbrush into a slot in the holder on the counter, and put the toothpaste back in the drawer.  Reentering the bedroom, he removed the cotton shirt we was wearing and started to remove the flannel pajama bottoms Kuro had dressed him in when he grimaced, his cheeks flushing.   _Great_ … how embarrassing; he’d worn pajamas to dinner without even realizing it.  He’d had so much on his mind, he’d hardly noticed.  He slipped them off, allowing them to crumple into a pile on the floor, extremely relieved that he was at least still wearing _his_ _own_ boxers.  Kuro hadn’t changed _everything_.

He then decided to do a few little tests before bedtime, just to see what he could do.  Mentally preparing himself, he crouched slightly in a ready stance, and allowing his leg muscles to coil tightly in anticipation, he pushed forward and sprinted toward the light switch on the wall near the main door.  He was to the switch in a fraction of a second.  He’d barely felt as though he’d moved, and he’d wound himself up for nothing.  Flicking the switch and quickly reaching over to lock the door for good measure, he sprang back toward the bed, only another half a second passing.  This new speed would take some getting used to, but it sure would save him time, he thought.  His vision seemed to intensify when the lights had turned off, and without the red glare of the lampshade covered lights, he could see very clearly.  He assumed his sense of sight would enhance in the dark, as vampires were nocturnal creatures.  He sprang from his bed to the nearest window and threw open the red curtains, exposing the light of the moon and stars, allowing it to flood the room.  He lifted the latch lock on the window and opened it, allowing a cool gust of wind to fill the room, fluttering the curtains.  On the breeze, he could smell a warm delicious scent of sweet berries and buttery crust coming from a lower window… Kagori must be baking.  

He focused past the mouthwatering smell of the pie, difficult though it was to do so, and inhaled the clean scent of crystal water and pine from the tall trees that covered the mountains beyond.  The moonlight lay like a soft blanket over the peaks in the distance, bathing the valley in soft greys and blues.  It was beautiful, and he could see, smell, and hear everything around him.  When he’d viewed his fill at the outdoor scene below, he gently closed the window and latched it, but he left the curtains open, allowing the moonlight to bathe the room.  He climbed into bed, reveling in the luxurious feel of the cool silk sheets against his skin, and pulled the covers up to his bare chest.  Settling in comfortably with his hands behind his head, he gazed up at the ceiling.  He sighed deeply, trying to relax himself into the soft bed and calm his new powerful feeling body.

What a day it had been, he thought.   _ What a day…  _ so much to take in, so little of it he fully understood.  And so little of it actually made any sense, or went down smoothly.  But he thought that he was taking everything pretty well though, all things considered.  He’d only freaked out a few times… okay, so  _ inwardly _ he was freaking out the entire time, but wasn’t that to be expected?  He was a...  _ vampire  _ now, for Christ's sake… his mind still had a hard time thinking the word, so it wasn’t something you just get over quickly.  It was more than a little  _ unbelievable _ , but he had no choice but to believe it… his body’s reactions were proof enough.  His whole world had been flipped upside down and he wasn’t sure how to handle any of it  Everything in him was amplified and he couldn’t get his senses to calm themselves, much less shut down enough for sleep to come.  It reminded him of the time he’d drank two huge energy drinks right in a row while preparing for his entrance exam to the academy.  He’d stayed up all night studying, and had made the mistake of drinking one drink, not getting the desired effect from just one, and pounding down another right after the first.  10 minutes later, he’d felt like his mind was on overdrive and his whole body had been tingling, jittery and twitching.  He was so worked up that it had the opposite effect of not allowing him to focus on studying.  The problem was, he knew he wouldn’t crash now from this like he crashed after those energy drinks.  Would he always feel like this, like his motor was on hyperdrive?  Maybe he’d get used to it …he hoped.

Somehow though, he thought he would be freaking out about everything a lot more than he actually was.  Sure, he was upset that this had all been against his will and he hadn’t chosen this new life, but aside from that, he didn’t really mind the changes for the most part.  More than anything, he was excited.  Although he was apprehensive about it, a part of him couldn’t wait to test out his abilities for real.  He was eager for the prospect of developing strength and power that he’d only dreamed of.  He’d be able to protect those he cared for….but with Ishino gone, the people he cared for in his life now seemed extremely limited.  He’d spent so much time working increasingly hard to take care of Ishino and making sure he was provided for that the time to develop other meaningful relationships was almost zero.  Still, his new abilities would go a long way in protecting the community as a police officer… if he could get to a point where he had full control.  The only thing that truly bothered him about this whole thing was that behind every emotion he felt, every new experience, every new bit of information, the loss of his brother was always an open, bleeding wound he couldn’t forget about.  The realization that he could put his entire heart and soul into this new life and transformation, because he no longer had anything in his old life worth saving, was crippling.  

He’d  _ never _ thought of having Ishino in his life as a burden, but now that his responsibilities as a caretaker and an older brother had been lifted, he felt… surprisingly free.  He was instantly sick as he thought that, his stomach clenching horribly.  He did truly miss his brother, and that loss stabbed at him more painfully at the thought he’d had about being ‘free’.  He’d trade anything to have Ishino back, even all the strength and power in the world.  He didn’t think that loss would ever go away.  If only he’d fully transformed first… before Ishino had been harmed… maybe he’d been able to save him... maybe he could have fought the vampire off.  Then he remembered the vampire would have had to be a pureblood to turn him, and according to Kuro’s description of a pureblood’s powers and strength, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against one.  It seemed like he’d passed out right after being bitten and drunk from anyway, because the first thing he remembered was waking up on the ground after probably being unconscious.  There wouldn’t have been a whole lot of time for saving… he thought bitterly. 

Trying his best to push thoughts of Ishino out of his mind – this was never a successful endeavor – he instead tried to focus on imagining what Kuro would teach him tomorrow evening.  He wanted it now… he didn’t want to wait.  He closed his hands into fists behind his head, and let them loose over and over, flexing his muscles almost in a nervous twitch, antsy for tomorrow to come.  Would they start on physical training first?  Would they spar?  He highly doubted it – he’d joked about it, but Kuro seemed like the kind who would want to try to book learn rather than learn from experience.  But he’d said himself that he didn’t have a whole lot of books containing the answers they’d seek.  There weren’t a lot of answers to begin with for his situation.   _ I am a Level D _ .  He still wasn’t sure what that fully meant, all he knew for sure was that it wasn’t good.  The depressed, sympathetic look in Kuro’s eyes, his grave apologetic tone when he’d spoken of it… all signs pointed to Kuro’s explanation, the probability of his eventual death, or worse, his fall to madness.  But there was that tiny glimmer of a possibility that he wouldn’t fall … that maybe, just maybe he’d be okay if his body and mind was strong enough.  He had no way of making sure that his body wouldn’t fail him, but he’d try his damndest to not let it happen.  

Rolling onto his side with a deep sigh, he reached down off the side of the bed and grabbed one of the long body pillows from off the floor where the rest of the bedding and pillows were piled.  He pulled it up and brought it in against his chest and brought his knees up slightly, snuggling the pillow into the curvature of his body.  He realized then with a jab of pain in his heart that this was probably a mistake, since this was how he used to cradle Ishino at night when he’d been in fits of pain.  He’d held his brother close and rocked him to sleep like this so many times, running his fingers through his silvery blonde locks to calm him.  He’d had to be strong for his brother.  Any sign of weakness didn’t do Ishino any good… it didn’t do anyone any good.  He had to be the composed one, the protector, the giver.  Sometimes, when Ishino would lie shivering and fretting fitfully in his arms, Akatsuki had tried his best not to let the tears slide down his face.  The tears flowed freely now, his crying muffled by the pillow pressed against him, the pain and sadness smashing into him like a giant suffocating wave.  He pulled it tighter to his bare chest, which was heaving with the uncontrollable gasping sobs that washed over him.  He curled his knees up toward his chest, trying to cover what felt like a gaping hole there, burning and blistering around the edges.  Overwhelming grief and white hot anger had suddenly flared inside him.  Why….  _ Why _ …. WHY?!  Every time he let himself think of Ishino, his chest tightened horribly and ice closed in around his already guarded heart.  He could usually control it, like earlier at dinner with Kuro, he hadn’t let the grief overwhelm him then.  But when he was alone like this, he often couldn’t help breaking down, allowing the high walls of composure he usually kept firmly in place to crumble around him.   _ I miss you so much Ishino… _

The kicker of all this was that he’d slowly but surely been getting better… he really had… Ishino hadn’t had any real abnormal health malfunctions or meltdowns in quite some time, and he had finally begun to respond to the heart medication.  Things could have gone how they were… Akatsuki would have taken care of his brother forever if he’d been allowed to.  The irony of it all was that the heart disease his brother suffered from wasn’t even what took him away from this world… it was a monster.  A monster had ripped the only thing that mattered to him away… and now he was that same monster.  But he’d promised himself he’d be different.  He didn’t want to hurt anyone or drink anyone’s blood.  He would never do what that pureblood had done to him and Ishino… to the only thing that kept him going.  But still… he was a monster now too, whether he liked it or not.  He cried even harder, more out of anger now… anger at the situation that had brought his life here, anger at that vampire, and anger at himself for not being able to save his brother.  He’d wanted to become a police officer so that he’d be strong, smart, and savvy enough to protect what mattered to him.  He wanted to always be the one to save his brother; just as he’d taken him away from the toxic home environment, he always wanted to be there to protect the light of his life.  He heard Ishino’s little voice in the back of his mind, “Aki, you’re always saving me!”  But he couldn’t this time… he wasn’t strong enough… 

After a time, he finally crying himself out; his heaving shudders subsided and he buried his face deeper into the tear stained pillow, curling his arms tighter around it.  He felt pathetic crying like this… but there was no helping it and no stopping it.  He’d held it in for far too long.  Now even more exhausted from his display of weakness, feverishly trembling, he closed his eyes and finally allowed the numbness to take over and drag him down into a fitful and restless sleep.

..oOo..

Wearily pulling myself up the tall staircase, Kuro reached the landing and continued down the long hallway toward his bedroom.  He’d needed to make a quick call to his personal assistant to confirm his absence in the office and that he would be detained from all business related issues, unless there was an absolute emergency, until further notice.  He’d sent an internal email, but he wanted to make sure.  He needed the time off to focus on Akatsuki and not be bothered with work, which was becoming increasingly more difficult the closer his team got to a breakthrough.  He was the President and CEO of a large pharmaceutical company, specializing in health and wellness solutions.  His company also ran a wellness division for vampires on the side, unknown to the general public as well as his investors, shareholders, and all of his human employees.  Running a company headed by a vampire but staffed primarily by humans was a difficult balance, and needed a fair amount of finesse and control on the CEO’s part.  It had forced him to turn on his human instinct, or at the very least, act much more human in order to now attract any unnecessary attention to his obvious difference.  The vampires who did work closely with him, his Vice President and personal assistant for instance, were hand chosen for their advanced skills in self-control and discretion.  

The vampire division of his company was currently trying to develop a blood substitute, a solution that would allow vampires to be able to take the synthesized version of ‘blood’ to sate the relentless hunger of their race.  Ideally, the substitute would be enough to be able to live off indefinitely, eliminating the need for a vampire to feed on blood, either from humans or other vampires.  Current testing of this product – a water dissolvable pill dubbed simply as ‘blood tablets’ – had shown immense promise up until the second month of trials, in which a number of the test subjects suddenly developed a desperate and unquenchable thirst for blood, becoming violent and hostile if the thirst was not sated.  However, once quickly given a dose of real blood, their thirst subsided completely and they returned to their original selves, having little or no memory of their intense bloodlust outbursts.  Although discouraging, many of the subjects did describe their thirst prior to their unexplainable tantrums as ‘normal’, and in a few cases ‘less than normal’, which still gave the project hope; that it hadn’t been a  _ complete _ failure.  The setback was extremely frustrating however, and he would just have to have his lab technicians and scientists reevaluate the formula and come up with a 2.0.  But he couldn’t be too upset; the best products very rarely succeed on the first try.

Stopping in front of his door and reaching for the doorknob, he heard what sounded like faint whimpering and sobbing coming from behind him, muffled by the thick wall but still distinguishable.  He turned, his attention caught by the double doors directly across the hall; tall, mahogany wood with polished gold handles, identical to those leading to his own bedroom.  They had been soundproofed for privacy purposes, just like all the doors and walls in the home, but nothing could keep out a vampire’s keen hearing.  Taking two small steps toward the doors and pressing his ear to the cold surface, the sound behind them grew louder, and he could distinctly hear sobs now.  This was  Akatsuki’s room.  Was he… crying?  Concerned about his new houseguest, he extended a hand toward the door handle, then retracted it as he thought better of it.  He knew how he’d feel if someone barged in on him while in that condition.  Backing off slowly and quietly as to not disturb, he turned and entered his own room instead, closing the doors behind him as softly as possible.

He leaned against the closed doors, pondering the situation.  Akatsuki had seemed fine at dinner, besides the mishap in the beginning, and whenever he’d asked questions that inched too close to sensitive subjects.  He’d been a little distant perhaps, not going into very much detail about his life or his family, which was understandable; from what he could gather, the man wasn’t really the talkative sort anyway, and the loss of his brother must weigh heavy on his heart.  He’d been through so much...  He himself, having been a vampire since birth and born into an upstanding noble family, couldn’t fully comprehend the difficulty that a transition from human to vampire, but he was doing his best to be empathetic and helpful through the process.  He did, however, completely understand that losing loved ones is the most difficult of all pain to bear.  Shouldn’t he be trying to aid Akatsuki to overcome his grief, as well as teaching him to be a vampire?  No… that wasn’t a good idea, he thought.  If he tried to interfere and dive too much into Akatsuki personal life or force him to relive the difficult moments, his efforts may be rejected and instead of helping, he’d probably only assist in breaking down their new and extremely fragile relationship.  No… he decided, rather than meddling in the Akatsuki’s affairs, he’d simply move forward with the training and vampire knowledge, hoping that it would help to take the his mind off his hardships and loss.  Yes, that was the way to go.   _ Don’t push too hard, Kuro… let him come around. _

Too bad that’s not what  _ I _ really want…. he thought.

In truth, he wanted nothing more than to  _ know _ the man who occupied the room across the hall… to truly understand him.  He was utterly fascinated by Akatsuki in every way possible; in such a short time, he has become completely captivated by this person and wholly intoxicated by his aura.  The grey eyes that were often clouded with a deep, thoughtful, almost painful expression… the devilish, almost savage look on the man’s face as he’d fed that first time… the surge of electricity that had traveled up his arm as their fingers touched… Had he imagined it?  He couldn’t have… Kuro longed to know everything about him; his true past, his personality, his likes and dislikes… his heart...  The overwhelming desire to ask every question, gain every answer, and learn all he could about his silver haired houseguest was flaming brightly inside him. These were all very human instincts, ones he was surprised were making themselves present.  He had to take things slow, he knew, lest he completely bungle this entire situation.  The last thing he wanted was for Akatsuki to feel uncomfortable and leave, especially before he was able to learn the basics.  That would be disastrous for everyone.

Mentally exhausted and physically drained, he quickly stripped off his clothes, laying them over the back of his desk chair.  Crossing the room, he flopped down on his bed, staring up at the wood beamed ceiling, arms curled up behind his head.  Why did this man pique his fascination so completely?  What was so special about him?  

… _ Everything _ … a little voice in the back of his mind whispered.  

..oOo..

_ Dark, unfocused images spun confusingly around him as he lay on the cold, hard concrete. The back of his head ached horribly, and he could feel something warm and thick running down through his hair, pooling beneath him.  He blinked wildly, trying to clear his blurry vision.  His body burned terribly, white-hot fire spiraling through his veins, scorching him from the inside. The left side of his neck singed especially bright, blazing above the pain coursing through the rest of him.  Strangely, he couldn’t move a muscle, trapped in his position sprawled on the ground, leaving him utterly helpless and defenseless, his limited sight terrifying him.  Was he under some type of spell?  He began to panic, his heart pounding and his breath coming in short, painful gasps as his chest ached. _

_ Suddenly, a ghostly white face shifted from the left into his fuzzy field of vision, looming over him where he lay.  The most dangerous of grins, a dastardly evil smirk, played across the pale lips, the tips of sharp fang-like teeth peeking out between them.  Thin pallid skin, so pale it was almost translucent, stretched over sunken cheekbones and hooded eyes, and dark matted hair fell into his face and flowed down over his shoulders. His appearance made him look sickly, not to mention crazy and desperate looking, which only heightened the feeling of dread churning in Akatsuki’s gut. _

_ “Ahh, looks like someone is finally awake!”  The man trilled in a high cold voice, which lay thick with malicious humor. “I was starting to think you’d miss the main event!” _

_ Trying to sit up to no avail, Akatsuki gritted his teeth in frustration as he struggled to force his frozen muscles to respond.  The man above cocked his head to one side and grinned still wider, appraising his vain attempts.  “Oh, poor boy… you can’t move, can you?” he teased.  “No matter… I’ll assist you.”  The man’s pale icy fingers gripped the front of Akatsuki’s jacket tightly and raised him up, dragging him across the asphalt and, letting go sharply with an extra wide grin, watching as Akatsuki’s lifeless body slumped against a brick wall in a sitting position.  Akatsuki’s head lulled backward, the paralyzed muscles in his neck unable to stop it, and the back of his already aching head slammed painfully against the brick.  He could now see the alleyway in front of him, but his sight was still limited to his direct surroundings.  _

_ “Now you’ve got the best seat in the house!”  Grinning wickedly, the man slunk away from Akatsuki’s sightlines, moving in a crouch with his hands on the ground like a creepy spider.  Akatsuki’s panic increased; he didn’t like not being able to see where the man was going.  His futile struggle was becoming more and more frantic.  He tried to scream, to throw violent curses at the man, to yell for help, but no sound came from his throat.  His meaningless struggles ceased as his heart stopped and his blood ran cold when he heard a high pitched yelp of pain and sudden scream of Ishino’s voice… _

..oOo..

The images were suddenly shattered by strong rocking motions, jerking him backward and forward by his shoulders.  His ears were ringing with a devastatingly terrified screaming, but the moment he realized the sound was coming from his own voice, it ceased immediately.  His eyes snapped open, but he could hardly see through blurred vision, and he couldn’t discern where he was.  He had thrashed around on the bed so violently that he must have fallen, as he was sprawled on the hard floor with the bedspread tangled around him, but his foggy and frightened mind couldn’t make sense of any of it.  Ensnared in the bedding, he felt trapped and bound, which didn’t help matters.  Unable to clear his head of the images he’d seen, his unfocused eyes darted around wildly, his face and bare chest glistening with a cold sweat and his palms clammy and feverish.  He was even more startled as he dizzily tried to focus on a person crouched over him, the hands upon his shoulders, shaking him.  He couldn’t make sense of any of it.  Illuminated by the shaft of moonlight the open curtains let in, the face was as pale as the man’s in his dream, with similarly dark hair. 

In his tunnel vision and alarmed state, Akatsuki did the only thing his terrified, disoriented mind could do; he lashed out violently.  Snarling ferociously with exposed fangs, his fingers extending into sharp claws and he ripped his tangled arms out of the bedding, launching himself at the figure before him.  Grasping the wrists of the hands still on his shoulders, he sprang forward, pinning the other to the floor.  In his anger and fear induced haze, he had no idea who this person was or what they were doing; all he knew was that he had to keep this creature away from his brother. 

“Hey _ – _ whaa?!” a surprised voice yelled from beneath him.  “Akatsuki, what the hell?!  Akatsuki!”  The voice sounded muffled and indistinct, as if he was hearing it from underwater.  He barely registered it; his mind was too far gone in his panic.  He hissed fiercely and bared his fangs in response.

The person below him wrestled with him, easily wrenching their arms free despite his monstrously tight grip.  The hands pushed up on his chest and he was suddenly flipped him onto his back, slammed hard onto the wood floor.  He vaguely registered that now his wrists were now the ones bound tightly and he snarled, struggling to release himself from the other’s grip.  An uncontrollable instinct to rip, to tear, to kill, overwhelmed him… anything he could do to save his brother from this monster… The image of that gaunt white face filled his vision, and the only thing he could hear, besides a muffled roaring like rushing water in his ears, was his brother’s screams echoing around the walls of his mind… “Hey, get a grip of yourself!” the same voice yelled.  Disregarding it again, he struggled with all his might, bucking his back and hips upward now, twisting violently to break free, but it still wasn’t enough.  

“AKATSUKI!” A swift, sure fist punched him hard in the face with vampire speed.  He cried out, but the sudden jolt of pain in his jaw shook him, and the shout of a suddenly familiar voice finally registered and yanked him abruptly out of his haze.  He shook his head, blinking furiously to clear his clouded eyes.  He stared up at, not the horrible pale man from his dream, but at Kuro’s face.  His expression was alarmed and bewildered, but mostly deeply concerned.  “Akatsuki?  Are you alright?” he asked, panting slightly.  He held fast to Akatsuki’s wrists, in case the other lashed out again.  

Akatsuki, still confused and frightened, did his best to control his breathing, his chest heaving, sweat sheening on his face and chest.  Kuro had his wrists clamped tightly in his strong hands, and he was straddled over his stomach… wait, why was Kuro  _ on top _ of him?  He didn’t know what was going on.  “Wh… what?” He managed to stammer, his voice hoarse. 

“Are you alright?”  Kuro repeated firmly.  He needed to make sure the other was more in his right mind.

“Uh… Yeah, I think so… what happened?”  Akatsuki asked, still a little dizzy.  His claws and fangs had retracted, and the anger and the majority of his fear had subsided quickly, but now fear of the repercussions of what had just happened started to flood him.  

“You attacked me, Akatsuki,” Kuro said slightly shakily, finally releasing the wrists he held fast.  “I could hear you screaming from my room, and I rushed over here to find you kicking and flailing around in your sleep.  When I finally managed to wake you, your eyes looked all glazed over like you couldn’t see me, and you lunged at me.  I apologize for striking you, but I couldn’t think what else to do to snap you out of it.  My abilities didn’t even work.”

“I _ – _ I did?” Akatsuki asked shakily, rubbing his sore wrists.  His mind was clearing, but he remembered very little about the last minute.  He must have been in a trance or something...  Trying his best to focus past his confusion, he suddenly realized with an unconscious blush covering his pale cheeks, how Kuro’s pajama-clad legs were straddled around his hips and lower abdomen, where he’d braced himself as he’d wrestled him to the ground.  “Um…wou _ – _ would you mind…?” He looked down at their seemingly awkward situation.

“Oh, yes of course!  Sorry,” Kuro choked, blushing scarlet and quickly moving backwards off him with as much dignity as he could muster, sitting back on the floor a little away from him, giving Akatsuki his space.

Akatsuki sat up slowly, still trembling slightly.  He nervously ran a hand through his hair, slightly damp with sweat.  The hair he pushed back flopped down over his worried eyes, shadowing them from view as he bent his head forward.  Was Kuro upset with him?  This was now the third time he’d lost control in one day, lashing out at Kuro.  At least the other times had only been verbally… But what would this mean?  Would Kuro get fed up with his mood swings and refuse to teach him?  Throw him out?  Akatsuki looked up tentatively, trying to gauge the brunette’s expression.  There wasn’t anger in his features, only concern and anxiety.  “I _ – _ I… I’m really sorry Kuro.  Are you okay?” he asked tentatively. 

“Of course I am.  It’s going to take more than that to hurt me,” Kuro said with a wink and a smirk. 

Akatsuki sighed in relief; Kuro’s joking tone said that he wasn’t mad.  Thank goodness... he relaxed his shoulders a little. “I don’t know what happened…” he said, shaking his head.  “I was dreaming… well, it was a nightmare really… but it felt so incredibly _ real _ .  I felt like I was right there in it.  And when I woke up, I guess I couldn’t tell the difference between the dream and reality…”  A strong feeling of crippling nervousness and anxiety was writhing in the pit of his stomach.  It really had felt like more than just a dream…

“It happens,” Kuro said thoughtfully.  “The enhancements to the sensory portions of a vampire’s mind often makes for much more vivid dreams.  It’s quite normal, I assure you, just something to get used to.” 

Akatsuki scoffed.  “There’s nothing ‘normal’ about how I feel…”  

“This will all get easier, Akatsuki.  With the proper traini–“

“How is training going to stop me from having these dreams?” Akatsuki cut in abruptly.  He was still on edge, and his mind was running away with him, spiraling down the path of his dark thoughts.  “You can’t keep yourself from dreaming… and what happens next time if I fly off the handle again?  What if my emotions get the better of me and I can’t control it?  I could hurt someone…”  His chest felt tense and tight, like ice had overtaken his lungs.   

“It’s just me and Kagori here, you know… and I think I can handle you,” Kuro said playfully, trying to keep the conversation from going down the path he could see, wanting to avoid the allowing the newborn to plunge into the  darkness he could see in his eyes.

“But what about when I leave here?” Akatsuki protested meaningfully. “I live in an apartment building, Kuro.  What if I hurt one of my neighbors if I get into a rage like that again?  And what happens if, no matter how hard we try, I’m never able to control myself?  I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hurt someone…”

Kuro studied Akatsuki thoughtfully for a time; the brunette’s face had grown serious, and when he finally replied, all traces of joking were gone from his voice, the sincerity ringing clear and true.  “I won’t let you hurt anyone… I promise.”  His eyes burned with the same sincerity. 

“But… you can’t possibly guarantee that…” Akatsuki almost whispered, his eyes falling downward again, clouded with worry and anguish and a grimace of self-disgust etched his face.  “I’m going to hurt someone, I just know it…”  He felt so horribly ashamed of himself, his gut churning with revulsion.   _ I really am a monster, I just proved that _ … The tightness in his chest grew, and it was becoming steadily harder to draw breath.  Darkness was beginning to flood into his vision, clouding his sight. He felt dizzy and disoriented again, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of utter hopelessness that was creeping in.  He raised his hands to his temples, trying to block out the crushing despair that threatened to take him down.

“All we can do is try,” Kuro replied calmly, trying to be reassuring.  “This is only day 1.  All that’s happened today is I’ve overwhelmed you with information.  It’s a lot to take in, I know - you’re still off balance, but we will fix all that.  You really thought you’d just snap your fingers and everything would fall into place at your feet?”

Akatsuki shook his head desperately, barely hearing the words through the muffled rush flooding his ears again, the flame of horror and self-loathing in his chest growing ever brighter.   _ No… This won’t work… Nothing will work… nothing can be done… _ He placed his face in his hands, still shaking his head.  His despair almost completely engulfed him, his intense uncontrollable emotions getting the better of him.  The muscles in his shoulders tightened and his lungs closed off, as if the weight of a thousand bricks was baring down on them. He pulled his knees tighter up to his chest and his fingers curled inward involuntarily, digging his nails into the flesh of his temples painfully, although the cuts in the skin healed almost instantly.  

Strong yet soft hands grasped his wrists gently this time and moved to his hands, lowering them from his face.  Pulled out of his self-pity sharply in surprise by the soothing touch, Akatsuki raised his head, staring briefly at his hands clasped in Kuro’s before bringing his eyes up to meeting the amber ones.  The intensely genuine and overwhelmingly caring look in them startled Akatsuki, although he didn’t let it show, but the encouraging smile that spread across the Kuro’s perfect lips then nearly stopped his breath.  The tender grip on his hands, which until just then had felt like pure ice, had sent instant warmth through them.

“It will take time, Akatsuki,” Kuro said gently. “But if you’ll just put your trust in me, we can do this together.”

Akatsuki didn’t speak at first, still somewhat entranced by the sincere gaze and the calm warming sensation spreading within him through the hands his were clasped in.  His dark bout of depression was quickly evaporating, being replaced with a sense of serenity.  It felt unnatural to Akatsuki, who moments before had been falling helplessly through darkness.  He shook his head with a sardonic little smile on his face he realized that was happening.  “Damnit Kuro,” he whispered, chuckling darkly.  “Am I ever going to be able to even  _ try _ to control my own emotions, or are you always going to do it for me?”

“Guilty again, I suppose,” Kuro shrugged sheepishly. “I just… I don’t like seeing you this way,” he confessed quietly.  “I know your emotions are crazy right now, but seeing you fall into darkness like that… I know how that feels.  I know what that’s like… and how difficult it can be to pull yourself out, believe me…” His gaze strayed to the window, with its red curtains pulled back.  A ray of ghostly moonlight shone across his face again, illuminating his handsome features that were now drawn into thought.  They were both silent for a moment, Akatsuki watching Kuro in his quiet concentration.  He spoke again very quietly, which Akatsuki could nevertheless hear perfectly.  “I’m just… I’m trying to protect you from falling prey to your demons.”

“Demons?” Akatsuki asked, raising an eyebrow.  He sat back more comfortably, knees uncurling and shoulders relaxing, the tension in them ebbing.  Part of Kuro’s effect he supposed.  He was already getting used to it.  If Kuro’s powers weren’t affecting him, he’d probably be annoyed right now.

“Sure, you know…” Kuro paused for a moment in thought. “The things that you have to deal with, that we carry around with us; fears, anxieties, secrets.  Some people have it worse than others, of course… depends on how well you can deal with them.  Vampires tend to have a bit more to deal with than others… the whole eternal lifespan thing kind of comes with its accumulative baggage…”

“Great…” Akatsuki muttered.  So this was only going to get worse… he thought darkly.

“On the bright side, vampires have an eternity to learn the best way to deal with them,” Kuro noted, grinning wryly. 

Akatsuki shot him a momentary glare, but it softened into an exasperated half grin.  Maybe what he really needed  _ was _ time, just as Kuro said; time to digest all of the changes he was going through, and time to accept it all and move forward.  But how long would it take?  How long will it take for him to not see himself as a monster?  And did he have the time?  “I don’t know how I’m ever going to get the hang of this,” he said quietly.  “But if you’re always fixing my emotions so I don’t get all self-loathing and broody, how will I ever be able to see if I can truly do this on my own?”

“I’m not always affecting them, you know,” Kuro said lightly.  “I’d never do it if I feel like you’ve got the situation under control.  But sometimes it’s subconscious on my part… maybe when I feel like there is potential for the the situation to get out of hand.  You’re not used to your heightened emotions yet, so that makes situations like these much worse.  You’ll be fine in time.”

“Which so far has been what, like 3 times today?”  Akatsuki asked sardonically.

Kuro grinned.  “ _ At least,” _ he said, and laughed. 

Akatsuki glared playfully at him again, only pretending to be annoyed now.  Kuro really was a difficult guy to grasp.  One minute, he was the most infuriating and irritating person, but he had an infectious smile and an almost musical laugh that brightened even the darkest of moods.  It left Akatsuki a little off balance, as though he could never fully anticipate Kuro’s words or actions.  “Yeah yeah…” he said, rolling his eyes.  He suddenly noticed that his now very warm hands were still grasped in Kuro’s, and he blushed again.  “Uhh…” he breathed, somewhat embarrassed, his eyes fixed on their clasped hands.

Noticing where Akatsuki’s eyes  had traveled and his reddened cheeks, Kuro quickly withdrew his own hands, placing them in his lap and sitting back a little further.  “So…”  Kuro said with a nonchalant air of changing the subject.  “Can you tell me about your dream?” 

Akatsuki hesitated; the dream really had felt so real… maybe it had been more than just a dream.  He had a nagging little suspicion that it could possibly have been the lost memories from that night was tugging at the back of his mind.  If that was the case, did he want to tell Kuro what may or may not be a dream, or a memory?  But would he really be better off keeping something like this from the person who was trying to help him?  If it was only a dream, Kuro might have some information about the way vampires dream – maybe there was some science behind it.   If it really was a memory, wouldn’t Kuro be the best person to help him work through it?  He’d have to tell him.  Slowly, in a quiet and somewhat reserved voice, Akatsuki told Kuro about his dream, and his theory of its potential origins.  He once again spared all details of Ishino’s involvement, but was thorough otherwise.  Even though some of it was hard to remember and even harder to say out loud, he knew the more Kuro knew, the better he may be able to help.  Kuro listened intently, taking in every detail of the story, and when Akatsuki had finished, he sat quietly for a moment in composed thought.  

“Well?” Akatsuki asked somewhat impatiently.

“I do agree with you, I believe this was a memory; the memory of when you were bitten, to be exact,” Kuro answered quietly.

“But… how could it possibly be a memory when I didn’t remember it happening before I had that dream?” Akatsuki asked, confused.  He didn’t remember  _ any _ of that.  He’d have been a lot more screwed up right now if he had.  That man’s face was haunting.  And Ishino...

“My hunch is that, although it seems that the pureblood altered or suppressed your memories, now they may be trickling back to you in the form of dreams,” Kuro explained.  “Remember how I told you purebloods would modify memories?”  Akatsuki nodded.  “Well, it’s actually known as compulsion.  Purebloods are the only ones with this ability.  It only works on humans, but when a vampire uses this power, they look directly into the eyes of the person they’re compelling and simply say a command, thereby forcing the human to do whatever they say.  I suppose it can be compared to mind control.  Depending on the nature of the request, for example, if the pureblood might say ‘I want you to forget what you’re about to do’, and the human will often have no memory of what happened.  That must have been what this vampire did to you.  I thought that may be the case, but now I am sure of it.”

Akatsuki was starting to feel sick, his stomach churning with horror.  “So, as if reading minds and other ridiculous miscellaneous abilities weren’t bad enough, you’re saying that vampires can force people to do whatever they want, whenever they want?”

Kuro nodded gravely.  “Again, only the most powerful and experienced purebloods have these types of powers, but yes that is more or less correct.  Also remember that although compelling only works on humans, the mind reading and some of those ‘miscellaneous powers’ you speak of are effective of vampires as well.”

“Perfect… juuust peachy...” Akatsuki scoffed sarcastically.  He hesitated then, unsure of what to say next.  He finally managed to say, ““But… why?  Why would he take my memories away?”

“I really can’t be completely positive.  Based on my knowledge of purebloods and your description of the vampire’s demeanor in your memory, I would have thought that’d he’d opt for the more inhumane, sadistic option of leaving your memories in-tact, forcing you to relive those painful moments for the rest of your life.  It seems almost too kind to suppress or erase them…  Maybe he thought leaving you completely in the dark about what happened to you would be the more cruel choice.  I guess I don’t know how fiendish, manipulative minds work.”

Akatsuki sat quietly, stewing in his thoughts.  So… the pureblood must have compelled him right before he was turned, to force him to forget what was about to happen while he was a human.  But then why were the memories coming back to him?  This wasn’t the first time he’d had an almost dejavu feeling after waking up from a dream, but this one had just been more vivid than any other.  Maybe the pureblood messed up the compulsion somehow, or maybe the spell or whatever it was wasn’t strong enough?  But that didn’t seem right... And if the pureblood had messed with his memory to make him forget being turned, why hadn’t he done the same thing to Ishino?  Why had he been turned into a vampire, but Ishino has been killed instead?  Was it because Ishino wasn’t a healthy human?  None of it made any sense.  Not that he really wanted his brother to be a vampire, but it was better than being just  _ gone _ … they’d at least still have each other.

“Are you alright, Akatsuki?” Kuro asked tentatively.  He could tell that the silver haired man tensely sitting in front of him was unsettled again, his eyes the darker lavender grey hue they often took on when he was troubled. 

Kuro’s question broke Akatsuki from his thoughts.  He hesitated again, but suddenly and abruptly blurted out what was on his mind, unable to hold the question back.  “Can vampires get sick like humans do?  Like… can we come down with the flu, or get cancer, or grow tumors, or even stuff like break bones, or…  _ anything _ like that?”

“No, human ailments like diseases, viruses and infections do not affect vampires.  We can’t even get the common cold.  We can still be physically hurt as humans can, as we have human bodies, so our bones can still be broken and our organs ruptured, etc.  But it’s much more difficult and we heal thousands of times faster, so a simple break of a bone that would take a human weeks or months to heal takes us mere minutes, if not seconds.  Things that would kill a human are barely scratches to us,” Kuro explained. “Even the least powerful of us are nowhere near as fragile as humans.”

“And if a human with some sort of disease or defect was turned into a vampire… would that human issue go away?” Akatsuki asked quietly, staring down at the floor.

“I would assume so,” Kuro said thoughtfully.  “I’ve never really thought about it, but I would think that our vampire healing would eliminate any foreign organism or body cells causing any issues.”

Akatsuki throat tightened and he gritted his teeth angrily, but tried not to let it show.  So, if Ishino had been turned just like he had that night, his heart disease and weak muscles would most likely have gone away.  He’d be healthy for the first time in his life.  More than just healthy, Ishino would have been strong, with no more fear of health issues, medications or hospital visits.  Yes, he’d be a vampire, and would have to deal with all the things that come along with that, but he would be alive… he’d be here…  This new bit of information felt the knife that had stabbed in his heart after Ishino’s death was being twisted, slicing away at the raw pain.

“Why do you ask?” Kuro inquired, his feeling of concern mounting as the darkness in Akatsuki’s aura deepened.

“Nothing,” Akatsuki almost snapped, then he softened his tone, seeing Kuro’s bewildered expression.  He wasn’t upset with Kuro, he just needed to be alone.  “It’s nothing… Really, I’m just… just tired.  It’s been a long day.  We should both get some rest.  Big day tomorrow, right?”  He tried to smile, but failed as his face faltered.

Noticing the somewhat abrupt dismissal, Kuro inclined his head respectfully and stood quickly.  “You’re right, I apologize, I’ve kept you up far too long.  Please do try to get some sleep though; no more dreams, okay?”

Akatsuki nodded.  Not like he could really help it. 

Kuro crossed the room, stopping at the door and turned, giving Akatsuki one last appraising look.  “Goodnight,” he said.  He opened the door and left, pulling the heavy door shut quietly behind him.

“Night,” Akatsuki replied as the door clicked shut.  He stood, picking up his bed covers and tossing them onto the empty bed.  Sighing heavily, he reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, tousling it a bit without caring and fell tiredly into bed on top of the bedclothes.  Wrapping them around himself out of habit, not because we was actually cold – he hadn’t felt anything except a content, steady temperature since his transformation – he rolled onto his side, staring at the wall.  He doubted he’d be able to fall back asleep, but he knew if he didn’t, he’d regret it.

His thoughts turned to Ishino once more, and how unfair it was that his brother had been taken from him.  It just didn’t make any sense at all; why?  Why him, and not Ishino?  Why not either turn them both, or kill them both?  Perhaps it had been his intention to kill both, but because the pureblood was thirsty and wanted human blood not vampire blood, he’d needed to feed while one of them was still human.  If that had been his intention, then maybe he just wasn’t able to stop and ….he sucked Ishino dry.  But what had his real objective been?  Or was he thinking about this all too hopefully, trying to make sense of the actions and see the good in the sadistic monster who deserved no positive thoughts?  Maybe there was no intent in this creature’s actions, and he’d done whatever he wanted simply to please himself.  The painful lump rematerialized in his throat and his eyes stung hotly.  Damnit… he didn’t want to think about it anymore!  He didn’t know how many more times would be forced to hash out every single agonizing detail. 

He growled quietly  under his breath… looks like a sleepless night lay stretched out ahead of him.

..oOo..

Across the hall, Kuro sat in his desk chair with a stack of paperwork, research notes and lab results sprawled out on the desk in front of him.  He was of like mind with his guest across the hall, for he knew sleep would evade him.  Although he’d said he was taking time off and that the office shouldn’t bother him unless there was an emergency situation, his approval and signature was required on the results of the last round of testing for the new round to begin.  Rubbing his temples gently with his middle and index fingers, he closed his eyes wearily.  His mind wasn’t letting him concentrate on what the reports said, despite his best efforts.  His head kept swirling with images of Akatsuki; his face ferocious and desperate, like a caged animal with no rational thought.  Pouncing forward like a wild cat, fangs bared… violent… No, he had just been scared, under the influence of the dream.  That hasn’t really been him…  I shouldn’t have approached him like that… I just frightened him, he thought.  Still… this man is unstable.  This wasn’t going to be easy… Nothing that a noble couldn’t handle, though.  The training will help.  

Shoving the disconcerting visions away, they slowly morphed to images of a much different Akatsuki, lying sprawled on his back with wrists tightly gripped and held down above his head by powerful hands, a vivid uncontrollable blush coloring his cheeks.  The Akatsuki in his mind closed his darkened charcoal violet eyes and turned his head to the side, exposing one side of his graceful pale neck, displaying a throbbing vein that pulsed in perfect time with the pounding of Kuro’s own quickened heartbeat.  A soft gasp that turned into a wanton moan escaped the perfectly flushed lips… 

Growling quietly in frustration, Kuro’s fingers on his temples moved to rub his aching eyes.  This is crazy… Why was he thinking of the ex-human this way, and why did he have this desperately growing need to be near him, to simply be in his presence… to see him in real life as he had in his visions moments ago?  He sighed heavily, and bowed his head over his papers, fighting to concentrate.  Looks like it’d be a long, sleepless night for him as well.

 

...xXxXxXxXxXx...


End file.
